YAM magazine September/October 2015

SEP/OCT 2015

Style Watch LIVING SMART

LIVING WELL

Jet-setting travellers

MIDCENTURY MODERN RENO Inside one of Victoria’s most architecturally unique homes

FEEL- GOOD FASHION Local designers embrace ethical practices

PACIFIC PARADISE A home perfectly in sync with its surroundings

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MODERN ETIQUETTE Your guide to social graces in unruly times

LISTENING TO YOUR BODY

At home with YAM’s stylesetter Janine Metcalfe

STYLE ISSUE

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CONTENTS

SEP/OCT 2015

74

Feel-Good Fashion Make your wardrobe an investment in your conscience as well as your style with these ethically minded local designers.

BY ATHENA McKENZIE

ON THE COVER

36

Life + Style We visit the eclectic, art-filled home of YAM’s fashion editor Janine Metcalfe and her husband L.J. Smith for a look at these stylesetters behind the scenes.

BY KERRY SLAVENS

68

What Your Body is Trying to Tell You Known as the hidden disease, chronic inflammation can lead to everything from depression to diabetes.

BY ALEX VAN TOL

62 A Matter of Manners Confused about 21st century social graces? YAM’s handy guide will help you conduct yourself with poise in these unruly times.

BY DANIELLE POPE

IN EVERY ISSUE

48

29

8 EDITOR’S NOTE

HOME + GARDEN

11 YAM LOVE

24 LIVING SMART Not just area rugs — these beauties are floor art

Our Perfect Pooch winner and a visit to the Style Watch set.

By Athena McKenzie

13 TOP OF MIND

FALL COATS NOW IN STOCK! New outerwear for women who appreciate comfort and elegance We would love to show you our extensive selection and help you find the perfect coat!

Trends in home décor and fashion, and a City Culture interview with Victoria’s poet laureate.

90 LAST PAGE The art of being human

FOOD + DRINK 19 GOOD EATS Preserved foods

By Carolyn Camilleri

21 DIVINE DRINKS Cocktail makeovers

By Adem Tepedelen

48 OUTSTANDING HOMES

24

A Pacific paradise between forest and sea

By David Lennam

FASHION + BEAUTY 29 STYLE WATCH Jet Set Confidential

By Janine Metcalfe

84 BEAUTY Dramatic eye dos

By Erin Bradley

86 JOE DANDY Our fashion picks for men’s fall/winter outerwear

By David Alexander

Barbara’s Boutique

ART + CULTURE

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Baden-Baden Boutique

26 IN PERSON

2485 Beacon Avenue, 250 655 7118

Beyond traditional with artist Rande Cook

By John Thomson

www.badenbadenboutiques.com www.facebook.com/badenbadenboutiques 6

YAM MAGAZINE

26

88 BOOKMARKS Best reads for fall

By Carolyn Camilleri

OUR NEW BRANDS FOR FALL 1900 Store Street 975 Langford Parkway 9768 Fifth Street, Sidney Centre capitaliron.net

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YAM MAGAZINE

YAM-3rd-2.39x9.58-VW-2015.indd 1

2015-07-24 4:43 PM Studio

EDITOR’S NOTE

By Kerry Slavens

THIS CHANGES EVERYTHING

I

bought a sofa on impulse a few weeks ago. It’s one of those luxuriously cushy models with ornate wooden legs that would be perfectly at home in the drawing room of a Southern antebellum mansion. It’s the kind of sofa I’ve always wanted and it took me all of five minutes to decide to buy it, call up the seller and arrange for delivery.

But as soon as my dream sofa was delivered to my home, I knew I had made a massive mistake. The sofa was, in fact, so huge that all of my other furniture looked like dollhouse furniture in comparison. And the style was so completely wrong alongside my straight-lined modern furnishings that I couldn’t even pretend I was going for an eclectic look.

Naturally, I sent the gargantuan sofa back, right?

Actually, no. That would have been entirely too easy.

Much to my husband’s confusion (and annoyance, I’m sure), I opted to keep this intrusive new piece of furniture and change everything else to suit it.

It was illogical, certainly. Who changes their entire home and creates such upheaval to accommodate SOMETIMES one sofa? Admittedly, I did feel a bit crazy as I turned my home into something resembling Kilshaw’s A SOFA IS NOT Auctioneers in my buy-and-sell frenzy.

JUST A SOFA. “I think you actually bought that sofa as an excuse to redecorate,” my husband said. He may have been partly right. Although I didn’t consciously set out to buy a sofa that didn’t fit, neither did I pre-measure my rooms or the height of my other furniture. I just bought it.

It’s not like this kind of action is completely out of character for me. I’ve never been satisfied with incremental change, which I often find excruciatingly slow.

My way is usually to drag the elephant ... err, sofa ... into the room and say, “Now everything has to change.”

I know my way can sometimes be a bit of a shock to people who prefer a gradual approach to change, but for me there’s something completely cathartic in radical transformation. Like in the movies when an ordinary person disappears into a phone booth and emerges — presto-chango — with super powers, ready to handle anything.

Thankfully, there are often reflective moments in the midst of big change, like when my daughter sat down beside me on the new sofa and asked, “Mom, is this craziness with the furniture because I’m moving out?”

You know, I thought, maybe she’s right? Maybe my furniture frenzy is a reversal of the nesting a woman goes through when she is preparing her home for a new baby? Maybe, just as my daughter is preparing to leave, I am also preparing for my new phase of life. I’m happy for my daughter and I’m proud of her, but I’m also not quite sure what life will feel like without her trailing clothes, shoes, horse gear, school books — and laughter — through the house.

So I suppose the sofa is a symbol of change, and it’s a comforting symbol at that because as Linda Ellerbee, author of Take Big Bites, wrote: “What I like most about change is that it’s a synonym for ‘hope’” — and hope is something I have lots of, for my daughter’s future and mine. ­­— Kerry

E-mail me at kslavens@pageonepublishing.ca YAM is on Facebook and tweets @YAMmagazine

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yam you and me

::

living smart

PUBLISHERS Lise Gyorkos, Georgina Camilleri EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Kerry Slavens

CREATIVE AND TECHNICAL MANAGER Jeffrey Bosdet

PRODUCTION MANAGER Jennifer Kühtz

EDITORIAL DESIGNER Janice Hildybrant ASSOCIATE EDITOR Athena McKenzie CONTRIBUTING DESIGNER Jo-Ann Loro CONTRIBUTING WRITERS David Alexander, Erin Bradley, Carolyn Camilleri, Adrienne Dyer, David Lennam, Danielle Pope, Adem Tepedelen, John Thomson, Alex Van Tol CONTRIBUTING FASHION EDITOR Janine Metcalfe

CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS Jeffrey Bosdet, Simon DesRochers, Joshua Lawrence

CONTRIBUTING AGENCIES Masterfile p.19; Shutterstock p.11; Stocksy p.21, 68; ThinkStock p.19, 62, 63, 66, 71, 72, 84

ADVERTISING REPRESENTATIVES Vicki Clark, Cynthia Hanischuk GENERAL INQUIRIES info@yammagazine.com LETTERS TO THE EDITOR letters@yammagazine.com TO SUBSCRIBE TO YAM subscriptions@yammagazine.com ADVERTISING INQUIRIES sales@yammagazine.com ONLINE yammagazine.com FACEBOOK YAM magazine – Victoria TWITTER twitter.com/YAMmagazine COVER The ecclectically stylish mid-century modern home of Janine Metcalfe and L.J. Smith. Photo by Jeffrey Bosdet/YAM magazine.

Published by PAGE ONE PUBLISHING 580 Ardersier Road, Victoria, BC V8Z 1C7 T 250-595-7243 info@pageonepublishing.ca pageonepublishing.ca

Printed in Canada by Transcontinental Printing.

Ideas and opinions expressed in this publication do not necessarily reflect the views of Page One Publishing Inc. or its affiliates; no official endorsement should be inferred. The publisher does not assume any responsibility for the contents of any advertisement and any and all representations or warranties made in such advertising are those of the advertiser and not the publisher. No part of this magazine may be reproduced, in all or part, in any form — printed or electronic — without the express permission of the publisher. The publisher cannot be held responsible for unsolicited manuscripts and photographs.

Canadian Publications Mail Product Sales Agreement #41295544 ADVERTISE IN YAM MAGAZINE YAM magazine is Victoria’s leading home and lifestyle magazine. Established in 2009, YAM was created for people who want to live well, live smart and make the most of their lifestyle. For advertising info, please call us at 250-595-7243 or email sales@yammagazine.com.

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YAM MAGAZINE

YAM LOVE

PERFECT POOCH WINNERS

W

e’re excited to introduce the winners in our first ever Perfect Pooch contest.

at Fairmont Empress

First prize goes to Giovanni, an Italian greyhound rescue from Minnesota. Giovanni wins an exclusive photography session ($450.00 value) with YAM magazine photographer Jeffrey Bosdet.

Our second prize winner is Abbey the Labby, a Labrador Retriever who loves life on the water. Abbey wins a gorgeous doggie bed from Bosley’s on Yates Street. This plush prize is filled with all the essentials to pamper a special pooch.

Thank you to everyone who entered their dogs in YAM’s Perfect Pooch Contest — and to everyone who voted!

Giovanni, 1st prize winner

BEHIND THE SCENES Host Lisa Perry and cameraman Eric Lloyd of CTV News Vancouver Island’s Style File dropped by the set of our Style Watch shoot to visit YAM stylist Janine Metcalfe and the rest of the team as they created the luxury-travel inspired “Jet Set Confidential” (on page 29).

Abbey, 2nd prize winner

Wellness Is Always In Bloom At Willow Stream Spa

ON THE TOWN YAM is looking forward to sponsoring A Matter of Taste on September 19, a special event to benefit the Greater Victoria Housing Society. This elegant evening at the Victoria Golf Club features fine scotch, cognac and wine tastings, along with a variety of high-end cigars, premium beers, award-winning ciders and exquisite chocolates from around the world.

Tickets at amatteroftasteforgvhs.eventbrite.ca

Love all things local? Like us at facebook.com /YAMmagazine

Join the conversation at twitter.com /YAMmagazine

Get inspired at pinterest.com/YAMmagazine

now proudly featuring aromatherapy associates fairmont.com/empress | 250 995 4650 emp.spareservations@fairmont.com

YAM MAGAZINE

11

PHOTOGRAPHER: JOSHUA LAWRENCE STUDIOS

“A man travels the world over in search of what he needs and returns home to find it.”

d.g.bremner & co.

MENSWEAR AND ACCESSORIES

TO P O F M I N D

ON OUR RADAR

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CITY CULTURE

16

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GOOD EATS

19

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DIVINE DRINKS

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JEFFREY BOSDET/YAM MAGAZINE

THE STRENGTH OF BEAUTY The Sofi bench by Arostegui Studio was inspired by a morning walk Cristian Arostegui took with his dog Sofi. “I saw her very focused, staring at a squirrel!” he says. “Her posture — high chest and bent legs, ready to run — inspired me to create the profile for the bench.”

Working with concrete manufacturer Szolyd, he created the Sofi, which he describes as having “an elegant, delicate aesthetic, balanced with a touch of roughness and personality.”

His philosophy, he notes, reflects that of Brazilian architect Oscar Niemeyer, who said, “...The more we diminish supporting structures, the more audacious and important the architecture is.”

YAM MAGAZINE

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T OP O F M I ND

ON OUR RADAR

A collection of our favourite things

TAKE A FASHION SHORT CUT Ankle boots are a fashion must for your fall/winter wardrobe. Wear them with skinnies, skirts, fashion tights, cropped pants or even trendy mid-length dresses.

You’ll find every style imaginable this season, from casual flats to arty heels. Here are YAM’s top picks for autumn:

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Art Amsterdam Black Booties (Head Over Heels, $329)

FAB’s Molen booties in brandy (She She Shoes, $169.95)

2 Rovers “Come Over” Booties (Heart & Sole Shoes, $320)

Get edgy with your jewellery with a custom-designed “wearable art” bracelet from Victoria’s own Emma Glover Designs.

Custom sterling silver and copper cuff (emmagloverdesign.com)

COOK IN STYLE Licorice is the hot new colour for Le Creuset’s iconic line of cast iron cookware. Each piece is cast individually in sand molds and hand-inspected by French artisans. Visit yammagazine.com for Le Creuset’s recipe for Pommes Anna with Celeriac (shown here).

Le Creuset cookware and book available at Penna & Co.

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YAM MAGAZINE

RETHINKING EVERYDAY OBJECTS YAM

loves

Saltspring artist Judy Weeden’s oneof-a-kind teapots synthesize beauty and harmony. Weeden has been creating with “willful fire and clay” for 40 years.

“Ultimately,” she says, “I hope my pots speak for themselves with independence and fearless honesty.”

Handcrafted “Crocus” teapot by Judy Weeden (judyweeden.com)

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HOUSE STYLE 1. The Globetrekker Marquee Desk with vintage canvas is inspired by a 1914 trunk Timothy Oulton found at an antiques market. (Luxe Home Interiors, $5,195) 2. Handmade in Italy, the Tiffany Nubuck waterproof leather sofa is a timeless beauty (Parc Modern Interiors, starting at $4,999 in your choice of leathers or fabrics) 3. The Watch Me clock is influenced by the geometry of designer colour chips (mintinteriors.ca, $69) 4. These Genie lamps, made of eco-certified Tasmanian oak and blackwood timber veneers, have an organic shape reminiscent of Australia’s baobab trees (spencerinteriors.ca, $575)

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MARKET

SQUARE

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Décor Tip: Artfully combining geometric and organic shapes in your décor relieves visual monotony.

AN ART ILLUSION Think this is a carpet? Think again. It’s actually an amazingly detailed painting

by Victoria artist Elizabeth Litton.

Inspired by her love of Persian carpets, she came up with a technique of applying paint that mimics the weave of these iconic carpets. Each painting in Litton’s “sweep it under the rug” series took about six weeks to complete in what she calls a “labour of love.”

Detail

“Swept under the Rug #3”

by Elizabeth Litton, 8" x 10", oil on canvas (Red Art Gallery, $1,200)

Shop Dine Discover! marketsquare.ca | 560 Johnson YAM MAGAZINE

15

CITY CULTURE

By David Lennam

JEFFREY BOSDET/YAM MAGAZINE

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The City’s Poet Yvonne Blomer believes that poetry matters, and as Victoria’s newest poet laureate, she is bringing her passion for words into the civic space to talk about what matters to her.

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YAM MAGAZINE

n a town crammed with more poets than a hefty English lit textbook, it’s not surprising that we’ve had one on the City payroll since 2006.

The poet laureate is Victoria’s de facto ambassador of words, whose poetry celebrates happenings, dissects disharmony and acts as a conduit through which poetry flows from all of our mouths and pens.

“The job is to get people connecting to the city through poetry,” explains Victoria’s fourth literary lionizer, Yvonne Blomer, named poet laureate for a four-year term last January.

POETRY FROM THE GRASSROOTS Blomer has published three poetry collections, teaches writing at Camosun College and has hosted Canada’s longest running weekly poetry series for the past six years. Planet Earth Poetry, held Friday nights at Hillside Coffee and Tea, began as Mocambopo in 1995 in the old Mocambo Café.

It’s been the hangout for the scene’s literati, both local and visiting. Patrick Lane, Lorna Crozier, Marilyn Bowering, Don McKay and Wendy Morton have read there, hosted there and launched books and anthologies there.

It was Morton, longtime host of the series, who was influential in getting the City to create the poet laureate position.

She remembers approaching then Mayor Alan Lowe and council and telling them, “Edmonton is a city with no trees, but they have a poet laureate.”

That must have touched some jingoistic nerve because, says Morton, “Pretty soon we had one.”

Morton is a big fan of Blomer and figures she’ll serve us well. “Yvonne is interested in community and involving people, in making it encompassing ...” And, adds Morton, that’s sort of what good poetry aims for. “It brings a richness to people’s lives.”

It has long brought a richness to Blomer’s life. The Zimbabwe-born, Nanaimo-raised poet once revealed that, “Poetry appealed because of the play, less like an essay and more like a dance on the page.”

Blomer, whose latest collection is As if a Raven, recalls keeping a journal that allowed her to talk to herself in words. There’s that adage that poetry is, first, a conversation with oneself that is made public.

OF POET AND STATE For those who appoint them, poet laureates are there to celebrate the state, but that has never meant tip-toeing the line like a nebbish clerk, eschewing alliteration because it just might be seen as provocative.

“I guess it has a political role, too, because it’s through the City’s government,” says Blomer. “But I’m following Janet Rogers and Linda Rogers who were both very critical and weren’t concerned at all. They just spoke their minds and their politics through their poetry.”

Blomer didn’t waste time announcing that, as poet laureate, she would not be holding her tongue. Her first official reading was in February at a City Council meeting and she read a poem she’d written for the occasion called This salted table, our world.

“I brought up sewage and oil tankers (“My voice echoes to silence/if sewage in the harbour and oil on the coast./Where will children play? How fish?”). [Mayor Lisa Helps] looked away from me for a moment when the sewage came up,” Blomer says cheekily, adding, “I am looking for events in this city to respond to and thinking about the political ramifications because I’m the spokesperson for the City. But I’m trying not to flinch or shy away from things.”

The trajectory of the poet laureate program in the provincial capital has moved

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YAM MAGAZINE

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Listen to those blackbirds. Gods of the slick sun. Their voices: a thick rolling on the tongue.

“Still Life with Blackbird on Lilac Branch” from As if a Raven, Yvonne Blomer

JEFFREY BOSDET/YAM MAGAZINE

from tame to touchy. Carla Funk, who won the gig as our first poet laureate, trod gently through metre and metaphor. Her poems versified snowfalls and festivals and even Mayor Lowe himself whose farewell ode began with a bizarre opening line “The cowboy on his painted horse/rides sundown to his bunkhouse.”

Things got going in 2008, when Linda Rogers, followed by Janet Rogers in 2012, held the post. Both took on gritty topics like residential schools with lines that stuck in some throats: “kissing the pope’s filthy ring” and tagging the prime minister as a prick. Janet had the best line this city has ever had thrust upon it in a piece she wrote for our 150th birthday: Victoria, I like to think, was born to handsome parents and abandoned awhile.

The poet is meant to be as much thorn as cushion. The laureate position requires the writing of three new original works each year that present ideas and issues important to Victorians. Words that might effect change — or, at least, tempt the notion of change.

Blomer brings up W.H. Auden who famously wrote that poetry makes nothing happen (albeit in a poem elegizing Yeats, who did make things happen as activist and politician).

“But he’s always misinterpreted,” she explains. “I’m sure he means poetry makes everything happen.”

We’ll see.

Right now she’s helping to hand off the Planet Earth Poetry series into hands of new host Daniel Scott, who takes over on September 18.

It was her tenure at Planet Earth, considers Blomer, that wasn’t so far different from being poet laureate, helping put the words into mouths, inspiring new voices and veteran voices, reflecting introspection onto the spectrum of all that is our city, and measuring out lives in stanzas instead of coffee spoons.

“It’s very similar,” she says, “but Planet Earth was not the venue to do bigger things.”

Maybe poet laureate is that podium for our new official voice of rhyme … and perhaps reason. ::

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YAM MAGAZINE

GOOD EATS

By Carolyn Camilleri

Preserving Traditions One of the most satisfying moments a home cook can experience is admiring her own preserves. Jars of jam sparkle like jewels as they cool on racks. The vibrant colours of fresh vegetables are dazzling. It’s truly kitchen art and a point of pride for generations.

I

n my childhood memories, late summer has the fresh, astringent aroma of vinegar and pickling spices. Mustard pickles, dills, pickled beets, relishes, and stewed tomatoes lined shelves alongside jam and fruit “put up” earlier in the season. Preserving summer’s bounty was our family tradition, with recipes passed from generation to generation.

Emily Lycopolus, owner of Olive the Senses, also grew up preserving fruit and vegetables alongside her mother, aunt and grandmother. She was five the first time she pitched in to help.

“My hand was small enough to fit into the jar so my job was to sit on the counter and organize the peaches so they would lay properly inside the jars,” she says.

While there’s a certain nostalgia about continuing traditions, in recent years preserving has made a comeback for other reasons. It naturally goes hand-in-hand with the resurgence of home gardening.

It’s also strongly linked to the local food movement — preserving local produce means reducing our need for importing food from elsewhere. And some people preserve food to have better control over sugar, salt and additives.

“Especially in this current age of dietary and health restrictions, preserving foods in a healthy way — not processed with chemicals — is becoming more and more important as we become more educated on what is happening to our foods at the

factory level,” says Lycopolus.

Fermented foods, an area within the preserved foods category, have received particular attention.

“Pickles, as well as kimchi and sauerkraut can be preserved with lacto-fermentation to produce live probiotics, which greatly aid in digestion and auto-immune issues, among other health benefits,” says Nadia MacLean, manager at Olive the Senses. “Kombucha is also naturally fermented and a great source for live probiotics.”

Instead of processing in a hot-water bath, which kills both good and bad bacteria, fermented foods are made using brine and a yeast-based bacteria or lactobacillus — essentially a starter, as with yogurt. Health

VIOLET BLUEBERRY BALSAMIC JAM Recipe courtesy of Olive the Senses • 4 cups fresh blueberries or thawed frozen blueberries • 1/3 cup Violet Dark Balsamic Vinegar • 3 tbsp Orange Zest Honey • 2 lemons, juiced • Pinch of salt In heavy medium saucepan, combine all ingredients and bring to a boil over medium heat.

Reduce heat to medium low and simmer for 6 to 8 minutes, crushing some of the berries with a wooden spoon. Pour into pint jars, leaving 1/2 inch from top and clean off any drips from rim. Seal tight with rings and lids and place into large pot of simmering water, ensuring jars are submerged by at least 1 to 2 inches of water.

Boil for 15 minutes and then remove to kitchen towels to cool. Test the seals by removing rings and lifting jars by the flat lid. If the lid releases, the seal has not formed and that jam should be kept in the fridge and consumed first. Once a sealed jar is opened, jam is good for two weeks in the fridge.

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food stores often carry products that can boost the probiotic content in fermented foods, as well as fermenting instructions.

But another reason preserving is making a comeback is because it’s creative. “Home cooks and chefs alike are proudly using canning as a way to express creativity in flavour and quality,” says Lycopolus.

BOOKS + RESOURCES

Food in Jars and Preserving by the Pint Marisa McClellan

SOME BASICS “Strawberry jam and pickles are the best things to start with in preserving in my opinion,” says Lycopolus. “They are both easy but totally different and so satisfying to accomplish.”

Start small, she advises. “Don’t try to make 20 quarts of jam or a bushel of cucumbers on your first try. Start with a few pints of berries and make maybe four or six small jars to get the routine down pat before expanding ...”

If you are starting with berries, Lycopolus advises using softer, very ripe fruit because it is extra juicy. With vegetables, look for firmness to retain crunch and flavour. In all cases, use the best produce you can find at its peak of perfection.

The vinegar you use is also important.

“The acidity needs to be five per cent or higher to prevent bacterial growth over the longer term if you’re planning on keeping

Saving the Seasons Mary Clemens Meyer and Susanna Meyer

your pickles for a year or so,” says MacLean, adding that older recipes often use vinegars with 10 per cent acidity, with instructions to dilute it with water to five per cent.

Preserving requires mason jars with clean, unused lids and rings, a deep canning pot fitted with a metal rack, a metal funnel to prevent spillage, a timer and rubber tongs for removing sterilized jars from hot water.

Post-preserving, monitoring seals is critical. If you notice broken seals or lids that have popped up after jars have cooled, keep that jar in the fridge and eat its contents first or discard it.

“If you find that many of your lids didn’t seal, check to make sure you left enough head space,” says MacLean. “If the jars are too full, then they can’t seal properly. At least a 1/4 inch is needed for head space.”

Keep preserves in a dark, cool place to prevent discolouring and the growth of dangerous bacteria.

A sure sign of a problem is jars with

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YAM MAGAZINE

The Canning Kitchen Blogger/Author Amy Bronee

popped up lids that look like they are going to explode: discard immediately.

The most fun way to learn is with family and friends. Lycopolus says community centres and local churches often have kitchens for rent. As well, Olive the Senses offers customizable preserving sessions for groups of six or more. The class offered this past August covered the basics of canning.

Participants made a seasonal jam, savoury chutney and pickles, as well as kombucha.

Both MacLean and Lycopolus encourage getting creative with flavours. For example, if you’re using fruit pectin, like Certo, in your recipes, add 1 to 2 tbsp of flavoured olive oil, like Eureka lemon or blood orange, after adding the pectin. This prevents the foamy layer that otherwise needs to be skimmed off and adds lovely flavour.

Try adding a flavoured balsamic, like mango, apricot, strawberry or raspberry. Or maybe violet or rosewater balsamic in apple jelly. Grandma would have loved that. ::

DILLY BEANS Recipe courtesy of Olive the Senses • 1 lb (1/2 kg) green string beans • 2 tbsp pickling salt • 2 cups Champagne Vinegar • 1/2 cup Sicilian Lemon White Balsamic Vinegar • 3 cloves garlic

250.595.3888 | 805 Fairfield Rd www.clinic805.ca

• 4 heads of dill • 2 pint jars, with lids and rings

TRINETTE REED/STOCKSY

Wash pint jars well and put lids and rings into a small pot of water and bring to a boil.

Remove from heat and let sit until needed.

Wash string beans, trim ends and cut in half or thirds so they stand in up the jars easily.

Place one head of dill in the bottom of each jar. Pack the beans into the jars so they are standing up vertically; add garlic and top with remaining heads of dill.

In a pot, bring salt and vinegars to a boil.

Pour boiling solution over beans, leaving a 1/4 inch of head space, but make sure that the beans and dill are covered.

Carefully remove lids from pot of water, place on jars and tighten well.

Place jars in a boiling water bath and process for 12 minutes. Remove from bath and let rest on the counter until you hear the lids pop.

Store for two months before enjoying.

DIVINE DRINKS

By Adem Tepedelen

Marvelous Cocktail Makeovers Five inspired Victoria bartenders share their restyled versions of classic cocktails.

T

he tried-and-true classics of the cocktail world, such as the Martini, the Old Fashioned, and the Manhattan — have remained popular and unchanged for generations. And there’s a reason why. They are our go-to drinks, because, as the saying goes, the classics are never out of style. But that doesn’t mean that they are untouchable. Modern mixologists, who cut their teeth learning how to make these iconic bevvies, pay their reverence today by riffing on the recipes that have kept cocktails part of the “mix” (so to speak) for so long.

To update or improve, if you will, on a classic, you have to intimately know the original and what makes it special. We offered several local bartenders the opportunity to show how they have taken a drink from the canon of the world’s best-loved cocktails and transformed it into something new — perhaps better — and definitely different. They all took a unique approach — some reverential, some irreverent — but the end result is five fun cocktails you might be inspired to serve at your next soirée.

PLAY IT UP These thoughtful and playful renditions of classic cocktails offer a great way to try a different take on an old favourite. And, hey, they may just inspire you to get a little creative with your home bar to see if you can come up with your own unique version of a classic.

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SPURS ’N’ SADDLES Nate Caudle Little Jumbo Mixologist notes: “The DNA of this bestseller is closely tied to the ginbased Pegu Club, although we’re adding an extra step with the root beer syrup. I find the classic recipe to be too dry and astringent, so swapping bourbon in as the base spirit bolsters the body and adds a sweet roundness from the corn in the spirit. This is a genuine Wild West twist on the 1930s classic.”

• 1 1/2 oz Bulleit Frontier bourbon • 1/2 oz Cointreau • 1/2 oz lime juice • 5/6 oz root beer syrup • 2 dashes Angostura bitters Build, shake and double strain neat into a small rocks glass. The garnish is a flamed hickory-smoked bourbon rinse.

LA CAMPAGNOLO Simon Ogden and Brian Newham Veneto Tapa Lounge

• 1/4 red pepper, chopped • 1/2 fresh lemon, quartered • 1 1/2 oz cachaça • 3/4 oz Luxardo Maraschino Liqueur • 1/4 oz simple syrup In the bottom of a shaker, muddle together the red pepper and fresh lemon. Fill shaker with enough ice to fill a good-sized tumbler and add all ingredients. Shake aggressively and pour unstrained into your chilled glass. Top with a lemon wheel and roast some ground black pepper over the drink with a lighter, match or torch for some splendid aromatics.

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YAM MAGAZINE

JEFFREY BOSDET/YAM MAGAZINE STYLED BY JANICE HILDYBRANT

Mixologist notes: “We tweaked the classic Caipirinha, the national cocktail of Brazil, for the current menu. Caipirinha translates to ‘little person from the countryside’ or ‘hillbilly,’ which speaks to its workaday roots. We’ve given our version the Italian equivalent: ‘La Campagnolo.’ To marry it with the Italian heritage of our room, we swapped the lime out for lemon and muddled red pepper, and the sugar for Italian Maraschino Liqueur. It’s a peppery, bright take on the original, and a perfect way to melt into a warm autumn afternoon.”

The Spurs ’n’ Saddles cocktail, a Wild West twist on the 1930s classic Pegu Club.

Durobor tumbler, set of six ($38); Ice Spheres mold ($6); Le Vigneron

by Josef Strauss stainless steel double jigger ($6), all available at Penna & Co.

THE MEXICAN FASCIST Marc Pinkoski and Scott Lansdowne Cenote Restaurant and Lounge Mixologist notes: “The Mexican Fascist is one of Cenote’s variations of the classic Old Fashioned — but it replaces the bourbon with tequila.

Then, following the traditional recipe of spirit, sugar, water and bitters, this cocktail combines strong notes of boozy chocolate and orange, with a bite of habanero heat on the finish.”

• 2 oz Hornitos Plata tequila

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• 1/4 oz simple syrup • Muddled orange fruit and peel • 6 dashes Fee Brothers Aztec Chocolate bitters • 1 dash Scrappy’s Firewater bitters Combine ingredients in a cocktail shaker and add ice. Shake briefly, then strain into a rocks glass with fresh ice. Garnish with orange peel and grated dark chocolate.

DRUNK UNCLE Shawn Soole Olo Restaurant Mixologist notes: “The Drunk Uncle is in the Negroni family. It’s a twist on the classic Boulevardier and Old Pal. It’s smoky and bitter, like a drunk uncle.”

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• 1 1/2 oz Islay whisky • 3/4 oz Martini Bianco vermouth • 3/4 oz Cynar liqueur Stir and strain into a chilled coupe glass.

Serve with a grapefruit twist.

VESPER Katie McDonald Clive’s Classic Lounge Mixologist notes: “Elevating a classic cocktail doesn’t always mean adding or subtracting ingredients. The alcohol market is so flooded with options right now that you can up the game of a classic simply by finding the brands that best suit the drink’s flavour profile. This is my favourite Vesper recipe.”

• 1 1/2 oz Tanqueray No. 10 gin • 1/2 oz Kettle One vodka • 1/2 oz Cocchi Americano Combine all ingredients in a tin and stir with ice. Strain into a small chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with a lemon twist. ::

YAM MAGAZINE

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L I V ING SM A RT

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By Athena McKenzie

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1

FLOOR ART With options as varied as subtle zigzag motifs to vibrant multi-coloured designs, a geometric area rug has the power to transform the look of your living room.

Energize your space with one of these eye-catching picks.

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13 11

TIP Use different, but complementary, rugs to create distinct seating areas.

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YAM MAGAZINE

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6

5

TIP Don’t be afraid to layer rugs or to place a rug over a neutral carpet.

7

1 Surya Jax (Available at Luxe Home Interiors, starts at $425) 2 Momeni New Wave (Available at Keystone Rug Company, starts at $169) 3 Stevens Omni Valencia (Available at Max Furniture, starts at $295) 4 Kravet Anima Oatmeal (Available through Lana Lounsbury Interiors, starts at $656) 5 Jaipur En Casa By Luli Sanchez in Tunnel (Available at Bespoke Design, starts at $79) 6 Calvin Klein Loom Select Neutral (Available at Parc Modern Interiors, starts at $1,019) 7 Surya Rivington (Available at Luxe Home Interiors, starts at $995) 8 Limited Edition Talisman (Available at Gabriel Ross, starts at $4,600) 9 Kravet Geo Zig Zag (Available through Lana Lounsbury Interiors, starts at $656) 10 Momeni BAJ-05 Multi (Available at Keystone Rug Company, starts at $95) 11 Kravet Anima Oatmeal (Available through Lana Lounsbury Interiors, starts at $656) 12 Jaipur En Casa By Luli Sanchez in Cubes (Available at Bespoke Design, starts at $79) 13 Surya Horizon (Available at Luxe Home Interiors, starts at $450)

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9

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TIP Don’t go too small with your area rug. An easy guideline is that at least the front legs of the furniture should all sit on the rug or the room will feel disconnected.

I N P E R SO N

By John Thomson

Rande Cook JEFFREY BOSDET/YAM MAGAZINE

GENTLE REBEL

A

portrait of Tin Tin, the fictional young Belgian reporter depicted in the cartoon series by Hergé, isn’t what you’d expect from an Aboriginal artist steeped in First Nations traditions. Riding a bull in New York’s financial district doesn’t come to mind either, but Rande Cook bucks the stereotype. “If I have to do another killer whale motif I’m going to shoot myself,” he laughs. Cheeky but original, Cook’s mission is to redefine Native art.

What gets him steamed up Nostrils flaring and poised to charge, New York’s iconic bronze sculpture, the Wall Street Bull, is a powerful symbol of capitalism and prosperity.

“It was 2012 and I was taking a jewellery course in New York and I thought ‘what does New York mean?’

Well, consumerism, finance, Wall Street.

I’m going to make a Louis Vuitton Native mask,” Cook recalls.

So he carved a cedar mask, decorated it with gold inlay, slapped on the Louis Vuitton logo and paraded around Times Square before moving onto the financial district and climbing atop the bronze bull. Fellow artist Luke Marston took pictures for what eventually became an installation.

“I like to have fun,” says Cook, dismissing his homemade mask as a device, not a cultural artifact. Make no mistake: Cook is very clear about using his heritage to make a statement versus making a buck off his culture’s spirituality. “Somebody likes a mask. They take it home, they hang it on their wall but they don’t know what that means. They don’t know the story behind it. It just doesn’t sit well with me. We have strong stories; we have metaphors just like the rest of the world. Can we not connect on an international level based on our stories and not based on the masks?”

His early influences Cook grew up in the culturally rich community of Alert Bay. When he asked his grandfather to help him become an artist, his grandfather told him to get himself a sketchbook and “draw, draw, draw.”

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Rande Cook, Ravenous, acrylic on canvas, 72" x 72"

He credits fellow resident Doug Cranmer with pushing him beyond the obvious. At that time, Cranmer, a highly respected Northwest Coast artist, was already experimenting with streamlining and simplifying his bowls and totems. “He was right at his peak when I was growing up in Alert Bay,” says Cook. “It opened the door for me to evolve, still using traditional elements but in a contemporary way.”

How he chooses his subject matter Cook likes to mix genres. “I ask myself what can I do to turn heads and get people’s attention,” he says from his Bridge Street studio, ready to jump into whatever medium strikes his fancy. Pop art? No problem.

Tin Tin was part of a series inspired by modern culture.

With Ravenous, pictured above, Cook adopted the European tradition of narrative painting. A fashion model in traditional dress tethers a raven, the Northwest Coast symbol of creation and knowledge. A wolf loiters in the background. An intoxicated Mickey Mouse lies slumped on the sidewalk.

“It’s about the state of the world,” says Cook lamenting the rise of personal gratification over spirituality. Yet he’s kept the figures flat and two-dimensional, reflective of his Native roots.

“There is no blending of colours. It’s very First Nations style,” he says.

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Why he doesn’t like the term ‘traditional Native art’ Cook insists he’s not a political artist, but Ravenous and an earlier piece called Idle No More, which criticizes the government for the Indian Act, definitely carry a point of view. Cook realizes deviating from what’s expected from him, that is safe, “authentic” Native art, may alienate some people but he’s unapologetic. “There are lots of galleries who would say, ‘Well, we’d never carry that because it’s not traditional.’ They’re telling you that because that’s what they can sell. I think that handicaps a lot of artists because they have to pay their bills and a lot of them become stuck. There’s no artistic growth in that.” La Tiesha Fazakas, owner and curator of Vancouver’s Fazakas Gallery which is mounting Cook’s September show called Form-a-Line, admits it’s easier to sell what’s safe and proven but adds “That’s one of the things I like about Rande, he’s willing to take risks and challenge the audience.” The show focuses on formline, the traditional Northwest Coast custom of outlining the subject in flowing, curving lines and then colouring it in.

Always inventive, Cook reduces and simplifies the outlines, pushing them towards the abstract. “His art and his culture are for sale on his terms,” Fazakas says. “That means you don’t get to appropriate his culture; you get to appreciate his culture.”

Why his upcoming fashion show is so important Cook cherishes his Aboriginal roots — as a hereditary chief of the ‘Namgis tribe, Kwakwaka’wakw First Nation, he travels to Alert Bay every two months to attend potlatches and immerse himself in tribal life — but he’s a man of the times too, choosing to work with many styles and materials, paint, photography, film, you name it. For the past two years he’s been working on a performance piece, which he plans to unveil in Victoria in 2016 (date to be announced). The goal is to take traditional origin stories and bring them up to date through fashion.

“There’s going to be old-fashioned music with DJs mixing new beats,” he says. “There’s going to be a video put together with some old Edward Curtis images dissolving into modern images and then traditional thunderbird costumes will lead couture dresses out on the stage to show the progression.”

It promises to be a mix of fun, fashion and history — and yes, Cook is making a point. He wants us to recognize Aboriginal art can be hip and modern and not stuck in the past. “I think for our culture to live, especially within our own people, we need to make it fresh,” he says. “We need to keep reinventing. I don’t want to be pigeonholed as an Indian artist.”

And neither, he says, do his peers. ::

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YAM MAGAZINE

STYLE WATCH Fashion Stylist: Janine Metcalfe

JET SET

CONFIDENTIAL With fall fashion, luxury is found in the details, with sumptuous capes and statement coats paired with sleek accessories.

It’s your passport to arriving in sophisticated style, whether you’re travelling by land, air or sea.

CHARTING A COURSE Bridget Savard Sherlock jacket ($248) and Bridget Savard Piper tank ($98) both available at Bridget Savard Designs; Elizabeth & James Bauhaus chain necklace ($298) available at Bernstein & Gold.

THE HIGH LIFE Gabe Ruth boiled wool cloak ($290) is made in Canada and available at gaberuth.wordpress.com; Bridget Savard Designs Brit blouse ($178) available at Bridget Savard Designs; Comrags Coby pants ($285) available at Tulipe Noire; David Luna Bas Origenes Mexico Shopper tote ($250) available at Heart & Sole Shoes; Oliver Peoples Gwynne sunglasses ($501) available at Maycock Eyecare; Gabor Shoes ($240) available at Cardino Shoes; gloves borrowed from Danica at Heart & Sole Shoes.

CASE STUDY On her: Eliza Faulkner Mary Kate coat (special order) and Eliza Faulkner Kate slip dress ($345) both available at elizafaulkner.com; Gabor boot ($350) available at Cardino Shoes; Trend bag ($295) available at She She Bags; Basque beret ($65) available at Roberta’s Hats; gloves borrowed from Danica at Heart & Sole Shoes. On him: Barbour Ashby jacket ($425), Barbour Lowerdale quilted gilet ($225), Culturata micro flannel shirt ($175), Denham Razor jeans ($235), Filson camera bag ($395), Randolph aviator sunglasses ($225) all available at Citizen Clothing; Magill Montreal fedora ($140) available at Roberta’s Hats; boots are model’s own.

This autumn, embrace clean lines and luxe textures for an unabashedly bold look.

FULL SPEED AHEAD Comrags Modotti Jacket ($430) and Comrags Coby Pant ($295) both available at Tulipe Noire; Channi B zebra-print bag ($465) available at Heart & Sole Shoes; Elizabeth Cole Triangle cuff ($199) and earrings ($164) both available at Bernstein & Gold; Gabor shoes ($240) available at Cardino Shoes; Orgreen Zelda Sunglasses ($493) available at Maycock Eyecare.

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SMOOTH SAILING On her: Judith & Charles Weaver coat ($475), Judith & Charles Sparrow sweater ($275) and Judith & Charles wool skirt ($325) all available at Bagheera Boutique; Goorin Bros Miss Mel Hat ($105) available at Frances Grey; Gabor shoes ($240) available at Cardino Shoes; Hobo Raine clutch ($222) available at Bernstein & Gold.

On him: 34 Heritage jeans ($198), Clark Ross alpaca shawl collar sweater ($315), NoBrand Argan boot ($365); Green Coast sweater jacket ($595) all available at D.G. Bremner.

Photography: Jeffrey Bosdet/YAM magazine Models: Whit Alexander and Crystal Z, both from Lizbell Agency Hair and Make-Up: Anya Ellis, Lizbell Agency Stylist Assistant: Brooklyn Koenig Special thanks to VIH Aviation Group and Van Isle Marina for providing locations.

LIFE + STYLE

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YAM MAGAZINE

For a behind-the-scenes look at local stylesetters, YAM visits the style å gogo home of YAM’s fashion editor Janine Metcalfe and

By Kerry Slavens

While eclecticism is certainly at work in this stylish yet inviting living room featuring contemporary, mid-century modern and folk art elements, every piece seems to effortlessly belong here, carefully chosen by the home owners with their practiced eye for design.

PHOTOS: JEFFREY BOSDET/YAM MAGAZINE

her ultra-creative husband L.J. Smith.

S

ome people just aren’t destined to live in ordinary houses.

That’s certainly true of YAM’s contributing fashion editor Janine Metcalfe and her husband L.J. Smith, a film industry lighting technician. Through a blend of wishful thinking and serendipity, these two innovative expats from Toronto’s fashion and film scene ended up buying one of Victoria’s most architecturally unique homes and renovating it into a creative casa worthy of its mid-century modern and Mexican-inspired heritage.

THE DREAM HOUSE The story of the relationship between the home and its current owners began about four years ago. “Moving here from Toronto, I would just drive around different areas of town and look at homes,” says Janine, who had spent the previous 20 years as a stylist in Toronto’s film and fashion industries. “I used to drive by this house all the time and think ‘oh my god, that is the house, my dream house.”

Built in 1956 in a style that would come to be known as mid-century modern, the home’s curved exterior is dominated by 10 massive windows flanked by rows of imported Mexican tile. It was a decidedly unorthodox addition to Rockland, a neighbourhood steeped in heritage.

But the dream home wasn’t for sale, and tired of living in suburban Victoria after a life in their 1887 Victorian home in the on-the-go, creative centre that is Toronto, Janine and L.J. made plans to move to Vancouver.

Above: The fireplace facade is grey slate topped by mod panels made from eco-friendly sugar cane pulp.

Left: The 1956 Rockland mid-century modern home was a fashion-forward addition to a neighbourhood heavy with heritage.

The home attracted a great deal of attention, and in 1958, Western Living magazine published an article

by A. David Rogers, celebrating this home built by Peter Hartnell.

The photos are a fascinating time capsule, revealing extensive interior use of Mexican tile and mahogany and walnut panelling. “With its curved front of glass and tile ...”

Rogers wrote, “it is a natural for sightseeing snapshot fans.”

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“THERE REALLY IS NO DIFFERENCE BETWEEN STYLING A HOUSE OR STYLING FASHION. IT’S ALL ABOUT PATIENCE — THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN GOOD AND GREAT!” — JANINE METCALFE

BESPOKE D E S IG N

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Farrow & Ball Paint & Wallpaper Hickory Chair Home Furnishings Interior Design Lighting, Bedding & Accessories Then one day, just before their move, while cycling to a party in Rockland, they rode by the dream house.

“Janine said ‘Oh my god, it’s for sale!’” L.J. recalls. “And I said ‘Yeah, that’s great. Too bad we’re moving to Vancouver, right?’”

They arrived at the party and in one of those moments when dreams gain traction, the first guest they met there was a son of the home’s builder and original owner.

“I mean, what were the odds?” says Janine.

“I was in real estate at the time,” says L.J., “and Janine kept asking, ‘When are we going to see the house?’ I kept putting her off.

Finally she said, ‘If you don’t show me that house I’m going to find another agent who will!’ So we went and saw the house and it

needed lots of work, but Janine was like, ‘We have to get this house!’

“When something is right, it’s just right, you know?” Janine laughs. They bought the house.

A VISIONARY HOME The mid-century modern home was designed and built by Peter Hartnell, whose family owned the Queen Victoria Hotel in downtown Victoria. Hartnell’s visionary approach broke the mold of Rockland, where Victorian and Arts and Crafts houses abounded. The house was also a truly radical departure from the boxy style of many homes built during the 50s post-war era.

An article published in 1958 in Western Living noted that Hartnell chose white

B 1844 Oak Bay Avenue Victoria, B.C. 250.298.1105 www.bespokedesign.ca YAM MAGAZINE

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stucco and colourful Mexican tiles, which he imported, for the home’s exterior.

Apparently, he wanted to show how this tile — considered very exotic in Victoria at the time — could be adapted to the Island’s blue and green hues.

Located in the neighbourhood of Government House, the home is surrounded

by Rockland’s greenery, and from its location on a bluff high above Fairfield, it offers glimpses of the distant ocean.

Hartnell also built the Modernista house right next door to Janine and L.J.’s dream home. This second home was inspired by Antoni Gaudi whose work Hartnell had encountered on a trip to Spain, according to a blog post by one of his sons, Geoffrey Hartnell. Standing side by side, the two homes would certainly have been considered eye openers at the time they were built. Even today, they continue to surprise the eye and push the envelope of Rockland’s architectural traditionalism.

THE INTERIOR REVOLUTION While Janine and L.J. were thrilled with their dream home’s exterior and many of its architectural features, they knew it was sorely in need of an interior-design reno — actually, more of a revolution — and so they set to work, doing much of the design themselves.

“We love to entertain and we wanted a home where people would feel comfortable and be able to easily circulate,” says L.J. “The very first thing we did was get rid of the thick 1950s or 60s swirled texture someone had applied to all of the walls and

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YAM MAGAZINE

even the ceiling. To me, it was like walking inside somebody’s esophagus ... it was terrible. It took weeks to get rid of it.”

With the old material gone, the walls were plastered and dry-walled with a smooth, contemporary finish. Next, they began to strategically open up the house to improve the flow, taking out many of the awkwardly placed interior doors and removing the wall between the dining room and kitchen.

They decided against taking out the fireplace wall between the kitchen and living room. “In such an exposed house, we wanted some kind of room divider,” says Janine.

Today, much of the home’s 1,300 square foot second floor is a study in openness.

Light flows in through ten 3’x6’ louvered panes, some capped by jalousie windows for fresh-air circulation. The windows run the entire length of the adjoined living room/ dining room, overlooking a front lawn with a mid-century modern-esque concrete patio which L.J. recently constructed as a surprise for Janine. A huge Garry oak in the front yard softly filters the light.

“The living room is definitely my favourite room,” says Janine. “I like to sit here, have a cup of tea and look out at the oak tree and glimpses of ocean and windsurfers, and the architecture of Rockland.”

The focal point of this entertainmentsized room is the fireplace, once decorated

by Mexican tiles that proved too difficult to restore. Instead, Janine and L.J. took the fireplace down to the bricks and created a new facade of grey slate and large, 3D interlocking panels made from bagasse, the crushed

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pulp left after the juice is squeezed out of the sugarcane. The panels are lightweight, eco-friendly and easier to install than heavy ceramic tiles. L.J. and Janine chose retrostyle panels featuring a geometric pattern reminiscent of the early 70s mod era.

GLOBAL INFLUENCE The now stripped down and opened up home serves as the perfect canvas for Janine and L.J.’s carefully chosen furnishings, contemporary Canadian art and mementos of their travels throughout the globe to Turkey, Albania, Bolivia, South Africa, Laos, Spain and more.

For Janine, whose parents were teachers in Africa, travel has been a life-long reality. For L.J., it began in his 20s when his experience in the U.S. Peace Corp took him to Mali where he spent three years living in a mud hut, exploring this fascinating part of Africa. The urge to travel to locales off the beaten track has been with him ever since.

Their mutual love of travel, as opposed to being tourists, has been an ever-present theme throughout their relationship and the “finds” from their journeys add a storied subtext to their home.

“It’s one of those houses that is always evolving because we travel so much,” says

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L.J. “We bring back things from other places, we get ideas from other places and move this around and that and redo this and that.”

From the moment you step into the gallery-like entry of their home, with its 20foot ceilings, you encounter evidence of their travels: Janine’s brass and wood chest from Zanzibar is tucked beneath a contrasting Charles Eames coat hanger with brightly coloured plastic balls for hooks. Two of the walls above are filled with the mesmerizing, extensive collection of masks and gris-gris from L.J.’s time in West Africa.

A stairway carpeted in a shade of deep purple is lined with abstract art and a wall mosaic L.J. created from paint-colour chips, inspired by a visit to a museum in Mexico City. “It took me a long time to make it look random,” he says. “Because you want it to look good random without being totally random. That’s the trick.”

In the airy living room, an entire wall is devoted to white, open shelves filled with books and travel mementos. “I like open shelves because I like to see everything,” says Janine. “We love to travel and bring back things that catch our eye, that speak to us and are beautiful, so why close them away in a cupboard?”

And there is a lot to see in this house. A mid-century teak sideboard on the back wall showcases a jewel-toned glass tea set from Turkey. Another set of shelves holds painted Day of the Dead figurines from Mexico. Most of the rugs in the home are from Turkey.

The first original artwork L.J. ever purchased was this piece by Vancouver-based Carel Moiseiwitsch, an illustrator and artist known for her humourous and satirical drawings and paintings.

THE ELEMENTS OF STYLE Both the living room and dining room feature a restrained eclecticism that blends mid-century modern with contemporary, and touches of folk art. A custom-made sectional sofa in a grey cotton/wool blend was originally designed for their Toronto home but seems like a natural fit in their Rockland home, anchored in this room of expansive, original oak floors by a multicoloured wool area rug in a geometric Persian style. At one end of the sofa, a three-legged stool in studded black leather and cowhide serves as an end table.

An original Noguchi glass-topped table stylishly forms the centrepiece. Flanking the fireplace is an original 1955 Hoop Chair by Canadian designer John Hauser.

“We like to mix it up,” says Janine. “There’s no rule to follow except what looks good together.”

That philosophy also holds true for the dining room where a mid-century teak dining set is contrasted with the drama of

Far left: Masks and gris-gris from West Africa create a dramatic entryway display. Details like this showcase the extensive travels of the homeowners and add fascinating depth to the design story of the home. A wood pendant light from New Zealand casts an appropriate exotic glow.

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a curved, white Phantom S Chair inspired

by Verner Panton. The piece de resistance for this room is a dramatic pendant light designed and built by L.J., made from a metal frame and containing (according to one party guest) 1,019 clothes pins.

The pendant light was inspired by a visit to a wine bar in Mexico. “We went in and I thought, ‘Wow, the lighting is really great’ and right next to us was this light made of clothespins,” says L.J. “I just loved the fact that they used such a simple element as clothespins to make such a sophisticated, beautiful light so I asked the owner if I could take a couple pictures.

I did these ‘secretly’ so Janine wouldn’t see me. When we got back to Victoria I asked Victoria Lampshade Company to try a few types of frames. I worked with it and that’s the result. It took me a couple weeks ... and I surprised Janine with it.”

Rustic yet sophisticated, the pendant casts its unique pattern above the dining table, bathing the room in patterned light.

The backdrop for the room is the painting “I Can/t Be Leave It” by Graham Gillmore, a Canadian artist known for exploring word as image and image as word.

As in any home, people are drawn to the kitchen. “We took the entire kitchen down

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to the studs,” L.J. says. Designed by Janine and designer Jonathan Aitken, the kitchen has a semi-industrial feel with its stainless steel appliances, gloss-white cupboards and shelves, and countertops in unique white and grey granite that resembles marble, and black ceramic flooring that looks like painted wood planks. One wall features decals of a single fork and knife against a white background. A black industrial-style pendant light hangs above the island.

The kitchen is the perfect blend of sleekness and warmth found in the mahogany-topped island (they pre-tested the idea by having a piece of plywood serve as the island for several months before deciding it was the right space for it). A well-used blackboard and strategic touches of leafgreen paint are down-to-earth yet stylish touches. Once again, the shelving is open.

“I love having access to everything and I

Gloss-white open shelves in the kitchen are perfect for displaying objects d’art, crockery and dinnerware.

The openness of the design also invites a psychological openness, making Janine and L.J’s home a warm, welcoming gathering place for their family and friends.

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just love the contrast of having something so modern against his Mom’s old crockery,” says Janine. “We want friends and family to feel at home here and having that contrast really contributes to the warmth.”

COMING HOME “This house is just the perfect house for us,” says Janine. “I mean, we were going to leave Victoria when we found it was for sale.”

“In Toronto,” she adds, “we had a great house but we were so busy with our careers that we didn’t have time to be as creative as we wanted to be with it. So in Victoria, we deliberately set out to have more time for ourselves, and our house has become our canvas, which may sound cliché but it’s kind of true. We both get easily bored and we’re both very creative. This house lets us be who we need to be.” ::

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OUTSTANDING HOMES

By David Lennam Photography by Joshua Lawrence

PACIFIC PARADISE Design by Nature

A

t first glance, it could be a number of modest houses jumbled together. Or thrusting prows of a small armada coming into port. But the roofing elements, like the folded wings of a bird, play with perspective and invite the eye to roam.

The key rooms are all corner rooms and each, framed with walls of glass and timber, engages two view aspects rather than just one. Light is caught from more than one side. And it is light and air, bringing indoors the surround of nature that the Eagles Aerie house is all about.

“I like homes that, even though they might be quite complex to build, though not necessarily complex to look at, are visually interesting,” explains celebrated West Coast architectural designer Etienne de Villiers. “No matter where you are in the home, you’re always discovering new things to look at.”

Exuding warmth and style, this spectacular Island home was designed to be perfectly in sync with its sea-bluff setting and Douglas fir backdrop.

At dusk, the Eagles Aerie home seems to float on water with the pond providing light. LED uplights the ceilings and downlights those big timber posts, creating shadow and accentuating the drama already in play with the thrusting angles of roofing.

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That’s exactly what the homeowner wanted with this brand new, custom, 4,135-square-foot timber-frame structure.

“We set out to design this thing so it looks great from every angle,” he says.

“Wherever you walk, I want you to keep looking at the endless detail.”

Set in a forested acreage on a bluff above the Pacific, with unobstructed views of the close-enough-to-touch Coastal mountain range and the endless wash of the tides, this four-bedroom, six-bathroom eye-catcher is all about light and air — and bringing the natural splendour of the setting right into the rooms. Walls open to allow the outdoors in. Landscaping flows into the forest and down to the sea.

Wary of all that old growth Douglas fir in the interior, the owner was specific that he didn’t want a rustic, hunting-lodge feel.

Instead, the cabin-y warmth of 350 timber beams is enhanced by the addition of 145 windows. It’s truly West Coast modern with

all the expected amenities: state-of-the-art media room, steam shower, infrared sauna, acid-stained concrete decking, in-floor heating, outdoor gas fireplace and a triplebay garage with its own carriage house.

“It’s a showpiece that blends with the environment,” notes Carl Tessmann of Island Timber Frame, the local firm whose European craftsmanship is evident throughout.

“We get excited as soon as we see a design like this. You might think that too much wood would be a bad thing, but Douglas fir looks warm — like home. And when you approach the place, it looks like it’s just meant to be there.”

And meant to be there for a long, long time, assures Tessmann.

“To me, quality, longevity and building something for generations that will still be there in 200 years — that’s green construction. Building with timber is just that.”

First-growth Island Timber beams crisscross 20 feet above an enormous great room, framed by a Douglas fir curtain wall system, milled by Island Timber Frame’s Swiss journeymen.

The vaulted yellow cedar ceiling complements the 100-year-old fir flooring, reclaimed from an old warehouse. A large iron Hubbardton Forge chandelier hangs above a custom-made fir dining table, while a 12-foot-tall black quartz granite fireplace, bookmatched with the kitchen countertops, punctuates a sunken living room.

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This page: The guest wing of the house includes three bedrooms and an infrared sauna. The motif found in the railing at the top of the stairs is an architectural detail that can be found repeated throughout the house, from the front gate to the kitchen bar.

Opposite page: The alluring curve of the staircase, with its light cherry wood treads, floats like it defies gravity. The slightly wider landing onto heated flagstone flooring makes a welcoming approach from the kitchen.

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Under a star-filled night sky or enshrouded by mists creeping in from the ocean just below, the intimate hot tub looks out over the view from the steep, forested embankment. From there, it’s nothing but mountains, trees and waves.

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CELEBRATING BUILDING & DESIGN EXCELLENCE ON VANCOUVER ISLAND VIBE awards showcase the best residential construction, design and renovation projects.

F

rom an architectural dream home to a luxury modern townhouse development, the work of the finest builders on Vancouver Island was recognized this spring at the inaugural Vancouver Island Building Excellence (VIBE) Awards. Hosted by the Canadian Home Builders’ Association – Vancouver Island (CHBA-VI), and supported by Diamond Presenting Partner BC Housing and The Homeowner Protection Office, the coveted awards were presented May 23 at a gala evening at Nanaimo’s Coast Bastion Hotel.

“The inaugural VIBE gala was the culmination of ideas, thoughts and a vision to celebrate excellence in our industry,” says Peter Schultze, CHBA-VI VIBE Awards Committee Chair.

Looking to highlight the high standards of the CHBA Vancouver Island member companies and to showcase the outstanding quality of their work, the VIBE Awards recognized projects across 24 categories.

Entries were received for projects built, renovated, developed, created and/or marketed from throughout Vancouver Island. A panel of anonymous industry professionals and long-time CHBA members from outside Vancouver Island

WINNER: Project of the Year

WINNER: Best Residential Renovation between $50,000 - $150,000

WINNER: Best Townhouse Development Left: Jason Schmidt, Pheasant Hill Homes. Right: L to R: Keith Baker (KB Design), Jane Morgan (CHBA National President), Lana McIver (The Interior Design Group), Taran Williams (TS Williams Construction Ltd.)

To see all the winners and finalists, and to view more project pictures, visit VIBEawards.ca.

WINNER: Best Single Family Kitchen – New under $50,000

Vancouver Island

Congratulations to all the winners on behalf of The Canadian Home Builders’ Association, Vancouver Island:

evaluated the qualifying projects. The judging process considered factors such as design, materials, environmental measures, functionality of the floor plan and land use. The judges’ scores were tabulated by an accountant from MNP. “We’re really happy to see the quality of projects that were submitted,” Schultze says. “We received entries from builders, renovators, designers and other professional companies located in Sidney, Duncan, Ucluelet, Parksville and everywhere in between.”

While being a VIBE Award Winner offers recognition for industry professionals, there is also a direct benefit to consumers.

“Companies that have entered a professional awards program are communicating that they are professional, committed to their business and proud to be part of the industry and the association,” Schultze says. “Consumers can be confident in hiring a VIBE Award winner or finalist.”

To see all the winners and finalists, and to view more project pictures, visit VIBEawards.ca.

Best Single Family Home under 1,500 sq.ft. — Sponsored by CHBA-VI: Architrave Design Build Ltd., Gabriola, and project partner Scotty’s Plumbing, for Pylades View Best Single Family Home between 1,500 – 3,000 sq.ft. — Sponsored by WBI Home Warranty: NZ Builders Ltd., Victoria, for Waino Best Single Family Home over 3,000 sq.ft. — Sponsored by Travelers Insurance Company of Canada: TS Williams Construction Ltd., Nanoose Bay, and project partner KB Design, for Cadence Best Townhouse Development — Sponsored

by CHBA-VI: Abstract Developments, Victoria, for Brownstone Best Multi-Family Low Rise Development — Sponsored by ICBA: Abstract Developments, Victoria, for Village Walk Best Single Family In-fill Home — Sponsored by Aviva Canada: National Home Warranty : SATGUR, Nanaimo, for Northfield Best Residential Renovation under $50,000 — Sponsored by CHBA-VI: Icon Developments Ltd., Ucluelet, for Drift

WINNER: Best Residential Renovation under $50,000

Best Residential Renovation between $50,000 $150,000 — Sponsored by Island Savings: The Sky Is The Limit Design, Victoria, and project partner Parsons Construction, for Poet’s Corner Best Residential Renovation between $150,000 $350,000 — Sponsored by AVID Ratings Canada: ARYZE Developments, Victoria, for White Hot, Broadmead Best Residential Renovation $350,000 and over — Sponsored by CHBA-VI: Zebra Design Group, Victoria, and project partner Zebra Construction, for Nilaya Best Single Family Kitchen Renovation under $50,000 — Sponsored by the VIBE Awards: B.Gallant Homes, Nanaimo, for Andover Best Single Family Kitchen Renovation over $50,000 — Sponsored by ShawTV: Pheasant Hill Homes Ltd., Nanaimo, for Oceanview Family Living

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Best Single Family Kitchen – New under $50,000 — Sponsored by CHBA-VI: Icon Developments Ltd., Ucluelet, for Rainforest Best Single Family Kitchen – New over $50,000 — Sponsored by CHBA-VI: TS Williams Construction Ltd., Nanoose Bay, and project partners KB Design and The Interior Design Group, for Cadence Best Innovative Feature – New or Renovation — Sponsored by Lehigh Hanson Materials Ltd.: NZ Builders Ltd., Victoria, for Waino’s Concrete Sandwich Panels Best Outdoor Living Space – New or Renovation — Sponsored by Island Savings: TS Williams Construction Ltd., Nanoose Bay, and project partner KB Design, for Cadence

un-WINE’d Best Interior Design Custom Residence – New or Renovation — Sponsored by the VIBE Awards: TS Williams Construction Ltd., Nanoose Bay, and project partner The Interior Design Group, for Cadence Best Marketing Campaign — Sponsored by Concept Photography: Abstract Developments, Victoria, for Village Walk Best Environmental Initiative — Sponsored by ASTTBC: Pheasant Hill Homes Ltd., Nanaimo, for Crossan House

GRAND VIBE AWARD WINNERS FortisBC Award for Excellence in Energy Efficiency in new Residential Construction — Sponsored by FortisBC: B.Gallant Homes, Nanaimo, for Driftwood Project of the Year — Sponsored by the Homeowner Protection Office: Horizon Pacific Contracting, Victoria, for Fir Tree Glen Small Volume Builder of the Year — Sponsored by Slegg Building Materials Ltd.: GNB Builders Inc., Ladysmith Renovator of the Year — Sponsored by Slegg Building Materials Ltd.: Pheasant Hill Homes Ltd., Nanaimo Residential Community of the Year — Sponsored

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Your guide to etiquette in the 21st century

A MATTER OF MANNERS Confused when it comes to social graces in the 21st century?

Our handy guide, filled with tips from modern etiquette experts, will help you conduct yourself with poise in these unruly times.

BY DANIELLE POPE

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tiquette may seem as stuffy as a top hat and tails in today’s informal, egalitarian world, but modern life presents its own challenges when it comes to decorum. There’s no question many of us are searching for a little help.

Respected newspapers, such as the New York Times and the Washington Post, field a multitude of queries in their weekly advice columns Social Q’s and Miss Manners.

These questions range from the simple to the life altering: What do I do with a bafflingly worded invitation? (Ask the host for clarification); My family won’t accept my husband because we’re gay — should we include them at Christmas dinner? (Yes, but be clear that the invite is from both of you.)

And though Emily Post may evoke images of neatly folded napkins and outdated order, the doyenne of manners is still surprisingly relevant, now with her greatgreat grandchildren running her etiquette empire. There’s even an online Emily Post resource with the groan-worthy moniker of “Etipedia,” that promises quick etiquette reference sections for Everyday Manners, Communication & Technology, and On the Job. Even with all that, what constitutes as polite behaviour in our modern world remains mysterious.

POINTS FOR GOOD BEHAVIOUR There are enough people committed to etiquette self-improvement, for personal or professional reasons, that modernday equivalents of finishing school are surprisingly common. Louise Fox is the creator and owner of Etiquette Ladies, a Canadian company that teaches proper etiquette to people across the country.

When she was a little girl, Fox would host tea parties in : An acquaintance her backyard and charge five cents to always greets me teach people how to with a loud, doublehold their cups. cheek kiss. Is there “I was one of a way to avoid this? those kids you : Next time you probably just wanted meet, try extending to push, but etiquette your arm and offer was in my DNA,” she to shake hands, says. which should give Fox’s grandmother a clear message. came to Canada from (A social kiss — any Scotland in 1918. kiss — should never She was born into come with sound a poor family and, effects.)

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back then, had two choices: pick turnips behind horsedawn carts, or enter the service industry. Grandmother became a maid and worked her way up, serving privileged families. When she came to Canada, she entered the hotel industry with a quality of decorum that lead her to start training others — including Fox. “People often tease that they’re afraid to go to dinner with me because they think I’ll correct them,” says Fox. “I tell them, ‘Not unless you pay me.’ Truthfully, I’ve never corrected anyone. I show appreciation for good behaviour.”

Good behaviour is at the core of etiquette, which Fox says can be defined simply as “respecting the needs of others.” Plenty has changed since Grandmother’s day — with new guidelines needed for smartphone use, hipster dress and merging cultures — but the principles haven’t budged. With a little common sense, anyone can stumble through.

ONLINE ETI-TECH Ask most people about their social conduct pet peeve and chances are high it will involve the use of cellphones.

Such is the case with Ann Elizabeth Burnett, the founder and director of Elizabeth Etiquette, a B.C. business that addresses style, grooming, business etiquette and excellence coaching.

Burnett, whose British upbringing exposed her to

friend to focus on our time together and not on constant texting at our next get-together (without seeming like a Wendy Whiner)?

A: Tell your friend how

much you enjoy seeing her, then suggest it would be fun and enlightening to start a no-text-except-foremergencies rule. If that doesn’t work, you may need to tell her you feel like texting is interfering with your time together. If she doesn’t like it, either drop it or find a friend you enjoy being with.

CLASSIC ETIQUETTE This quick-guide breakdown will get you by with dignity intact.

RSVP Meaning: Répondez s’il vous plaît. “Reply if you please” or “Please reply.”

Expectation: This invitation requires your response.

Best Practice: Send a response in the format you received the invitation (Note: Not responding is not the same as declining.

If your situation changes, be sure to notify the host immediately.)

Tipping Meaning: Gratuity to reward service.

Expectation: The better the service, the better the reward.

Best Practice: A 15 per cent tip is considered average in Victoria, with 20 per cent or higher rewarding exemplary service. Some establishments include a mandatory 18 per cent gratuity in the bill, and guests are not expected to tip on top of this. Even though debit and credit

YAM MAGAZINE

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Q: How do I get my

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machines give the option, tipping is not expected for café services, or for take out, except for complex orders, special service or late orders. It is customary to tip your hairdresser, valet, delivery person, florist, cleaner, shuttle driver, dog walker, children’s entertainer and grocery bagger at rates between 10 to 20 per cent.

Food Restrictions Meaning: You’re one of the 2.5 million Canadians selfreporting at least one food allergy.

Expectation: Adults are responsible for their safety.

Best Practice: While food restrictions are increasingly common, proper etiquette suggests thou shalt not make thy dietary requirements someone else’s problem.

Give the host advance warning you’ll be bringing something tailored to your gluten (etcetera)

intolerance — don’t just show up and say you’ve eaten. Having the conversation in advance allows the host to tailor options, but keeps it focused on your solution.

Gender Roles Meaning: The decorum in which people of all genders interact with each other.

Expectation: Times are a’changing.

Best Practice: Ask before you act. Gone are the days when men were expected to pay and women were expected to let others hold the door — that’s not to say we can’t still do both. By 2015 standards, it’s most appropriate to communicate about behaviour before following any standards. “Can I get the door for you?” or “Do you mind if we split this?” will save misunderstandings later on and open important conversations.

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executive and Royal etiquette, says one of the most upsetting trends she’s watched is how distracted we’ve become. Once, she was dining at a white tablecloth restaurant, when a young man came in with a beautifully dressed young woman. He texted throughout their meal and, at one point, Burnett says she had to resist giving him a lesson on the spot.

“This young man had his cell in one hand and was literally shovelling the meal into his mouth with the other, texting between bites. The young woman just sat there,” she recounts.

Emily Post would be horrified to see the turn social interaction has taken since the 1940s. Just because we’ve shifted platforms of communication, however, doesn’t mean the standards change.

Juhli Selby is a social media marketing consultant in Victoria, though some know her as the Island’s own online etiquette coach.

Selby says etiquette’s biggest cultural divide is between digital natives and digital immigrants.

“With digital etiquette, it all depends on who you’re with,” says Selby. “Young people are documenting everything in real time, and people in the social media sphere have technology with them always, but not everyone else does. The guideline is, be present. The phone does not get touched when I am having a conversation.”

Selby, Burnett and Fox reiterate the same rule of thumb: don’t be first to pull out the phone.

“If the person you’re with isn’t holding a device in their hand, neither should you be,” says Selby. “When someone is really present with you, it’s intoxicating. If you give someone your full attention they know it, and nothing shows more respect than that. It’s like having a super power, and here’s the secret: we all possess it.”

If you are waiting for an emergency text or phone call, best practice is to let the person you’re conversing with know. Then, put your phone on vibrate and take it off the table — don’t check it every few minutes. If the matter really is that concerning, it might be better to cancel your plans.

A PROPER SIGN-OFF Another digital shift is how we reach each other. Email is the new snail mail, and should be crafted with a level of professionalism.

Reaching people through social media platforms can be done casually, Selby says, but should follow the “What’s In It For Me?” principle. Focus on the other person: ask a question, send a message of thanks or share something of interest to them. Chain or group messages are out of vogue, and can exhibit a tasteless attempt to build connections —

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“YOU CAN ANSWER MOST ETIQUETTE QUESTIONS BY ASKING, ‘HOW WOULD THIS MAKE SOMEONE ELSE FEEL?’” SAYS SELBY.

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unless people have subscribed to mailing lists.

For professional response time, phone and email etiquette suggests a same-day or 24-hour response to most messages, unless a bounce notifies otherwise. However, Selby cautions against the use of generic reply messages. A better practice is to send a quick note stating you will respond by this date. For social media response time, users will expect a response based on how often you use the platform. You can “teach” people what to expect, says Selby, but be aware of the optics: things can get awkward when your newsfeed is lighting up with photos of your pets or dinner out, yet you haven’t responded to that three-day-old private message.

“You can answer most etiquette questions by asking, ‘How would this make someone else : My friend feel?’” says Selby. brought an extra “The law of guest to my formal reciprocity lives on dinner party. What in real life and in should I do if this social media. Most happens again? people are pretty understanding : Take a deep but, over time, breath, smile and the consequence discreetly set an of ignoring this is extra place. Etipedia that people will says you should tune you out.” plate the food, using Fox agrees you smaller portions of what’s limited and can’t go wrong larger ones of what’s with a healthy in good supply. dose of respect, Augment the salad kindness and and add more bread, consideration. if possible. Signal “We used to the Family Hold have hundreds Back (FHB) rule to of rules — about family members if which hats women necessary to make had to wear for sure there’s enough which events, and food go around. which side of the street we walked on. Traditional decorum doesn’t really fit Canada today,” Fox says.

“You’re pretty well left on your own now, but if you use common sense and treat others with courtesy, you’ll get it.” ::

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WHAT YOUR BODY IS TRYING TO TELL YOU Chronic inflammation is known as the hidden disease. Hereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s what you need to know about it and how to ease it.

JAKOB/STOCKSY

By Alex Van Tol

I

nflammation is your body’s natural response to injury or irritation, but too much of a good thing can lead to chronic medical issues, from diabetes to depression. YAM talks to the experts to help you understand and reduce inflammation.

Ugh. Inflammation. Even the word feels hot and puffy. It conjures images of swollen, reddened, painfully throbbing tissue. Signs of inflammation can range from the obvious (a sprained ankle) to the invisible (diabetes) to the semi-noticeable (waking up feeling more achy and sore than usual; also, that persistent gnawing in your lower back). But no matter how it presents, inflammation sends a message that something is “off” in our bodies.

Chronic inflammation is different. It occurs as a result of a persistent influx of chemicals that the body isn’t able to deal with because of a breakdown in its ability to clear out the offending irritant, and can last for weeks, or even years. Eventually, because of its chronic nature, the inflammation is no longer functioning as a reparative process but instead becomes destructive. This, then, is the problem. Chronic inflammation is found in diabetes, metabolic syndrome, lupus, asthma, Inflammation is Acute or Chronic?

Crohn’s disease and ulcers, the body’s way of Inflammation is the and, if left untreated, has protecting itself. body’s way of protecting even been found to cause itself. The inflammatory The inflammatory severe diseases like cancer, response is natural rheumatoid arthritis and response is natural and evolutionarily heart disease. The tricky and evolutionarily appropriate, and it’s piece for researchers is aimed at removing appropriate, and it’s trying to understand what’s harmful stimuli (think driving the inflammation in aimed at removing dirt, bacteria and the first place. harmful stimuli. damaged cells). Getting It’s not just a bodyrid of this kind of gunk based issue, either: a study paves the way for the released earlier this year healing process. by the University of Toronto’s Centre for “Inflammation is a repair response,” Addiction and Mental Health found that the says Victoria naturopath Todd Levins. “It’s level of brain inflammation in individuals not a bad thing. It’s a necessary and vital with major depression were increased by component of healing.”

30 per cent as compared to non-depressed Hold the blowtorch. Inflammation brains, with the most severely depressed isn’t a bad thing? This is odd and difficult subjects showing the greatest severity of news for a society that has been taught to inflammation. The study suggests that immediately apply ice to sprained ankles clinical depression can be caused by and chow half a roll of Tums when the salsa inflammation independent of any other starts talking. physical illness.

Whether inflammation is considered “bad” has more to do with whether it’s It’s All In Your Head acute (as in that sprained ankle) or chronic.

The gap between mind and body narrows Acute inflammation is the initial response daily in medical science, and our knowledge to an insult, such as a scratch, a sore throat around inflammation is no exception. or sore muscles following a workout, and Inflammation is a neurological reflex, says it occurs most prominently over a 72-hour Levins — and as a naturopath he sees it timeframe. It is associated with symptoms most at the gut level, which is where the like heat, pain, redness, swelling and loss of immune, hormonal and immunological function. That’s the magical human body, systems meet. hard at work to fix a problem — and it’s If there’s damage to tissue, Levins almost never a bad thing. explains, whether that damage is physical YAM MAGAZINE

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or chemical (for example, if a given cell is spitting out immune messengers that signal there is damage within that cell), feedback is catapulted up to the brain. The damage alert! message is cascaded back down the vagus nerve — the primary nerve of the parasympathetic nervous system — which then communicates to that area of damage how to marshal an inflammation response.

That’s not to say that local inflammation doesn’t exist, notes Levins, but mostly inflammation is a reflexive arc moderated by the nervous system. “So more and more, what I end up doing with patients is helping them strive for a balance within the neurologic system.” In lay terms, that means adding more relaxation and exercise into your life.

When Inflammation Strikes As our knowledge about inflammation increases, so does our skill in dealing with it. Health-care practitioners now understand that inflammation doesn’t always have to be minimized; after all, the human body is purpose-built, well-adapted, infinitely wise and generally able to heal itself. So don’t reach for the ice right away.

“With the new research in the last two or three years, physiotherapists have changed their stance,” explains physiotherapist

Inflammation doesn’t always have to be minimized; after all, the human body is purpose-built, welladapted, infinitely wise and generally able to heal itself.

Felicity Klimstra, who completed her masters at UBC. “We used to say ice all inflammation, but now we know that inflammation is the body’s process of dealing with that trauma.”

Whether to ice or not depends on the severity of the inflammation, so it’s a caseby-case decision. The important thing, says Klimstra, is to listen to your body.

Counter to what you might think, movement is one of the best ways to kickstart the healing process. “Our initial reaction to pain is to not move [the area],” says Klimstra. “But walking around and using the muscle through its range of motion tends to mobilize some of the inflammation. It gets pumped out of those

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areas by the blood’s movement through the veins.” The increased circulation as a result of movement drives nutrients to the area for better healing.

In the case of a sore back, which Klimstra sees a lot of, movement and stability exercises form the backbone (sorry) of the treatment process.

“It’s individual for each patient, but these pathologies need to be stabilized within a healthy range of movement.” Klimstra recommends keeping the discomfort meter tuned to about a three out of 10, and doing movement and stability work within that. Stability work is just what it sounds like: getting the stress off the bones and ligaments that are bearing more than their share of the burden at the problem site, and doing stability work in that optimal posture. So for a habitual sloucher, say, stability work means sitting in proper alignment and then recruiting the deep core muscles to control your body while in that good posture through a progressively more demanding series of movements (e.g. sitting; then walking; then doing lunges).

Over time, stability and exercise will improve that chronic inflammation.

“Motion is lotion,” says Klimstra.

You can cool the inflammation cascade with better choices at the grocery store, too.

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TIPS TO DECREASE INFLAMMATION 1. Move it.

You’ve heard that sitting is the new smoking? Every half hour, stand up and walk around.

Do a couple squats and side-to-side bends. Let your blood flush out the waste that collects in your tissues.

2. No sugar tonight in your coffee.

Dairy, refined sugars and fried foods are the bellows that stoke the inflammatory fires. Ease down.

Instead, add fish oil to your diet; daily omega-3 has been shown to soothe both inflammation and anxiety — double bang for your buck.

3. The laying on of hands.

Movement plus handson treatment mobilizes stiff joints. For superstubborn muscles that are chronically tonically active, intra-muscular stimulation will hit the RESET button within the nervous system itself.

4. Traditional methods.

Cupping is an ancient treatment for inflammation.

Great for treating

tight fascia, it involves using suction cups to coax more blood flow to an area that’s suffering.

5. Use your brain.

Clinical and anecdotal evidence points to relaxation as being key in resetting the neurological inflammatory cascade. Whether it’s time in the forest, yoga or meditation, relaxation is critical to your wellness. Make it a part of who you are rather than yet another thing you must do every day, says Victoria naturopath Todd Levins.

6. Get your shut-eye.

Sleep deprivation exacerbates inflammation, which in turn increases the risk of heart disease and stroke.

7. Fight fat.

Obesity and inflammation are irrevocably linked in the medical literature.

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“Inflammation leads to oxidation of tissues,” says Levin. “The plant-based compounds in bright fruits and vegetables function as antioxidants, mitigating the damage that’s being done to the tissue.”

Go easy on the gluten, too. Levins says most people, whether gluten sensitive

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FOODS THAT HELP DIAL DOWN THE FLAMES Ginger: Used to treat rheumatoid arthritis and colon inflammation (chronic colon inflammation is connected to the development of colon cancer).

Do you know what’s in your mattress?

Turmeric: A relative of ginger; turmeric is under research for its effects on arthritis and Alzheimer’s, as well as other inflammatory diseases. One small study showed the curcumin in turmeric to be as effective as Prozac at correcting depressive symptoms.

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Tart (not sweet) cherries: Also known as sour cherries; Oregon Health & Science University has claimed tart cherries to have the highest antiinflammatory content of any food due to their high anthocyanin levels.

Fermented foods: Keep your intestinal flora healthy with probiotics and fermented foods like yogurt, and fermented cabbage, eggplant, carrots and soy (natto).

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or not, tend to feel much better when they kick the sticky stuff to the curb.

“Eating less gluten causes you to eat in a fundamentally different way,” says Levins, “with less processed foods and less refined carbs.”

What You Can’t See The thing about inflammation is its invisibility, especially when it’s at work in your visceral tissue, where the sensation is hard to pick up. Scientists are only now just figuring out how inflammation underlies other, more severe conditions — but the link is there. The good news is we have the tools and the intelligence to make better choices that will minimize inflammation’s effects.

Use your body. Eat wisely. Breathe.

Repeat. ::

FEEL-GOOD

FA S H I O N

Trish Tacoma of Smoking Lily, in the company’s Wharf Street studio, makes an adjustment to the Kildare dress, part of the brand’s new fall line.

PHOTOS: JEFFREY BOSDET/YAM MAGAZINE

WITH THESE VANCOUVER ISLAND DESIGNERS, YOUR WARDROBE CAN BE AN INVESTMENT IN YOUR CONSCIENCE AS WELL AS YOUR STYLE.

By Athena McKenzie

“I think everybody has a different view of what they think ethical is ... Often it’s determined from the consumer’s point of view and whatever they think the important ethical choices are.”

— Trish Tacoma smokinglily.com

E

thically minded clothing has evolved far from its clichéd origins of patchwork skirts and burlap overalls. Looking globally, superstar designer Stella McCartney is known equally for her ultra-luxe runway creations as for her eye to sustainability. Closer to home, Vancouver has its own Eco Fashion Week with its mandate to push the trade towards practices that balance ecology, society and culture.

Luckily for those of us here on the Island looking to be more mindful with our fashion choices, the area is home to several designers who make buying socially conscious style a sartorial win. Let’s call it the 100-Mile Wardrobe.

WHAT’S IN A LABEL? Of course, the term “ethical fashion” can mean a variety of things, depending on whom you’re talking to, especially if it’s a designer. The description can cover a range of issues including environmental considerations, working conditions, production locations, child labour, fair trade and sustainability.

“I think everybody has a different view of what they think ethical is,” says Trish Tacoma, owner of Smoking Lily. “If you’re producing everything in environmentally friendly or sustainable fabrics, or your impact on the environment, or how you treat your employees. Often it’s determined from the consumer’s point of view and whatever they think the important ethical choices are.”

Now approaching its 20th year in business, the Smoking Lily label has developed something of a cult following for its original designs and unique silk-screened prints. It’s known for mixing whimsy with functionality: the brand’s new fall line was inspired by the 85th anniversary of the Nancy Drew mystery series and used the sleuth’s sidekicks — the voluptuous Bess and the tomboy George — as its muses.

For Tacoma, making decisions about the direction of the brand — be it using only environmental fabrics or where to source material — balance is key.

“I find it really hard to be hard-nosed about something or to decide that I’m only going to be one type of thing,” she says. “It’s just doing what you can.”

That said, the values listed on the creative board in her light-infused office overlooking Wharf Street include the mantras: “Minimize impact on the environment by using bamboo,

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organic and industrial ends when and where we can” and “Source close to home.”

Surprisingly, “ethical” is a description that can raise some objections, and not only because of its historical associations to “brown and stretchy.” Designer Eliza Faulkner, known for her eponymous line of women’s wear, confesses to not loving the term.

“It’s in use so much that it has lost its weight and doesn’t really mean anything anymore,” she says. “All of these big companies might say they’re ethical and eco and their fabric might be organic, but you know they’re having it made in India and then shipping it across the world. The only way to truly be eco is if you’re shearing the sheep and then weaving the wool and then sewing it from scratch. It’s a tricky industry.”

Faulkner, who was born and raised on

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“I think it’s more important to create something that’s really beautiful, so people just love it and have to have it, and then the ethical stuff is a bonus.”

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V i c t o r i a S y m p h o n y 1 5 /1 6 Vancouver Island, studied fashion design at the famed Central St. Martins School of Design in London. She uses natural fabrics whenever possible in her elegant and feminine line, which is produced in a workshop right here on Vancouver Island.

She describes her fall collection as “sumptuous, vibrant, and playful,” calling a pink Moto jacket and a red silk Tyg dress her favourite pieces — something she would pair together for a Christmas party.

To her mind, the ethical considerations should be built into fashion, not be the selling feature; rather the design of the clothes should be what draws customers.

“I think it’s more important to create something that’s really beautiful, so people just love it and have to have it, and then the ethical stuff is a bonus,” she says.

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and Gabe Ruth lines, agrees that the clothes should come first.

“I don’t want people to visually see that my clothing is eco — it should be an afterthought,” he says. “You should like the clothing, it should be comfortable, it should fit well and look good and the whole eco part is invisible.”

MADE IN CANADA Conroy brings some big-city couturecred to his small studio off the main street in Shawnigan Lake. The designer, who also studied at Central St. Martins and then the Art Institute in Colorado, spent several years in New York working as the assistant to designer Victor Costa, creating couture spin-offs for Neiman Marcus and Saks Fifth Avenue. The next 15 years in Denver were busy designing custom high-end gowns under his line Gabriel.

Since moving to the Island with his wife and family three years ago, he has enjoyed collaborating with Hemp and Co. and has launched the Gabe Ruth label with his wife.

Their e-commerce site for the Canadianmade line will go live this fall.

“I was longing to do something that was a reflection of our life,” he says. “The Gabe Ruth aesthetic is basically a reflection of what we like and our lifestyle here on Vancouver Island. We aren’t trying to be trendy or over designed. We are really focused on comfort and relaxed style. Some of the pieces are very chic but could be worn to a fancy cocktail party or the beach.”

“You should like the clothing, it should be comfortable, it should fit well and look good and the whole eco part is invisible.”

—

Gabriel Conroy

gaberuthclothing.wordpress.com

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For Conroy, the where and the how of the manufacturing process are the most important aspects of ethical fashion.

“I think made in Canada is more important even than using eco-fabric,” he says.

Locally made and small scale is a concept that’s gaining traction in the fashion world.

This past spring, in honour of Fashion Revolution Day, Tacoma posted pictures on Smoking Lily’s Instagram of all the women that work in her studio here in Victoria.

Each was simply captioned with, “I made your clothes.”

Fashion Revolution Day, a global awareness campaign, came on the anniversary of the tragic factory collapse in Rana Plaza in Bangladesh that killed 1,133 workers producing clothes for many brands we all know (and probably have hanging in our closets). The campaign’s goal was to raise awareness of the true cost of fashion, to show the world that change is possible and celebrate all those involved in creating a more sustainable future.

“I think it’s important to get to know who actually makes your clothes, and that here it’s your neighbours, as opposed to someone anonymous overseas,” Tacoma says.

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THE THRILL OF THE DEAL In recent decades, the price of clothes has plummeted and many of us treat our wardrobes as disposable commodities. But we’re learning the instant gratification of that inexpensive new skirt, no matter how cute, is far outweighed by the more far-reaching consequences. The human cost, highlighted by the factory collapse in Bangladesh, is just one of the issues facing the traditional fashion industry. Poor working conditions, environmental violations and child and slave labour are commonplace in the $1 trillion fashion business.

So what is stopping people from making more ethically minded choices when it comes to their wardrobes?

“The price point,” Faulkner says. “I think people that want ethical don’t want to pay what it costs. Having things made locally in Canada definitely costs more than it would to do it abroad. [Shoppers] are so used to these low prices now that competing with that level of fast cheap fashion is probably the toughest part.”

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RBC Dominion Securities Inc.* and Royal Bank of Canada are separate corporate entities which are affiliated. *Member-Canadian Investor Protection Fund. RBC Dominion Securities Inc. is a member company of RBC Wealth Management, a business segment of Royal Bank of Canada. ®Registered trademarks of Royal Bank of Canada. Used under licence. © RBC Dominion Securities Inc. 2014. All rights reserved.

longevity if we think less about owning the latest or cheapest thing and develop more of a relationship with the things we wear,” Cline writes. “Building a wardrobe over time, saving up and investing in well-made pieces … they’re also a deeply satisfying antidote to the empty uniformity of cheapness.”

Naturally, part of Cline’s solution is for people to look to local suppliers; an answer that comes with many benefits, not the least of which is a chance for us be original.

“We have lost individuality because there are 50,000 pairs of the same thing,” Conroy says, referring to the mass-market mentality of fast fashion.

“For me, the creation is a conversation between the designer and the client,” he says. “I love when I get the chance to hear feedback or if somebody has an idea for something.

“Whatever it is people want, can be created in an ethical or sustainable or eco way.”

Unlike the wardrobe transformations on reality television or the cheap fix of disposable fashion, an ethical fashion makeover isn’t an instant overhaul. Your shortterm goal should be progress, not perfection.

“It’s about buying less but buying better,” Faulkner says. ::

Always a good sign.

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BE AUT Y

By Erin Bradley

HOW TO GET DRAMATIC, GORGEOUS EYES Many women shy away from dramatic eyes for fear they can’t achieve a great look.

YAM’s beauty expert let’s you in on how to do a bold eye and what’s trending for the fall/ winter season.

O

ne of the most coveted makeup looks is a beautiful dramatic eye.

It’s not only fun to wear but it can completely transform and enhance any eye shape or colour. Many people shy away from trying anything new for fear of looking overdone or just plain making a mess — and let’s face it, what works on the runway doesn’t always work in real life.

So first, I’m going to give you the basics of creating a great dramatic eye, then we’ll talk about what’s trending and how to make the look work in your life.

GET READY FOR DRAMA These application tips will help you avoid any potential pitfalls and get you all the drama you seek.

1. When it comes to makeup, always do your eyes first. That way you won’t 84

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risk ruining your entire look if you make a mistake. Instead, you can simply wipe away any fallout under your eyes and then blend on foundation, concealer and finally a setting powder.

2. Avoid smudging, enhance colour and create a base for blending with this two-step process. First, apply a light layer of matte cream-to-powder shadow primer on your eyelids with your fingertip. For fair skin, try MAC paint in “untitled.” For medium tones, try MAC “sublime nature” or Lancôme’s “nude.” And for deep skin tones, try MAC paint in ‘constructivist.’ Second, using a medium-fluffy brush, apply a sheer coat of eye shadow that’s a shade or two lighter than your skin tone.

3. Use separate brushes for light and dark colours. This will help blend and soften any harsh lines. My favourite must-

have blending brushes include QUO’s Professional All Over Shadow Brush, and MAC’s #217. Remember to clean your brushes weekly.

4. Don’t forget to celebrate your eye makeup efforts by balancing the look with a neutral makeup palette and lip colour.

NOW FOR THE DRAMA Makeup artists love creating variations on the dramatic eye technique so there’s always a trending colour or series of products to freshen up the look each season.

Enjoy playing around with dramatic eye techniques a few times before you plan to wear the look.

TRYING ON THE TRENDS Orange and bronze eye shadows are perfect for anyone seeking a simple makeup

For more tips, visit us online: www.modernrev.com trend that has major impact. This colour palette looks great on warmer skin tones when used as a lid, crease or liner colour.

For cooler skin tones, try pairing a grey or plum shadow in your crease, with a golden colour like MAC Woodwinked in the centre of your lid.

How to wear it well: To create an evening look, blend a bronze shadow like MAC Bronze, or a rust colour like Kindle MAC’s Woodwinked from Elate Cosmetics, over a smudged black or brown liner and fade the edges with a soft champagne shadow.

Graphic eyeliner is big this season. While lining the eyes using a square or block shape at the eye’s outer corner was seen on the runway, a more wearable look is the classic cat eye or one of its cool graphic updates like bottom liner or a double cat eye.

How to wear it well: Rather than very dramatic black, try dark brown or navy for a softer look. Waterproof and smudge proof liners Instead of basic are best for creating this black, try Stila crisp look. Stila Stay All Stay All Day Waterproof Day Waterproof Liquid Liquid Eye Liner liner comes in 15 fabulous in Dark Brown shades. A simple smoky eye or Midnight. is ideal for some evening drama.

How to wear it well: Try this trick to turn your day look into something more intense for evening. Over your existing eye makeup, use a soft and smudgy Kohl liner to a create sweep of colour at your lash line, then buff the edge using a soft medium-sized brush.

Use the same brush to sweep on a medium tone shadow like MAC Satin Taupe and finish by softening the edge with a nude shade.

A FINAL TIP — GOING PRO If you decide to have your makeup done by a friend or a professional before going it alone, remember “dramatic” has many interpretations so be clear about what’s dramatic for you and have some inspirational pictures handy as a guide to help you get that stand-out look you want — one that’s perfect for your eyes only. ::

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YAM MAGAZINE

85

J OE DANDY

By David Alexander

IT’S COAT SEASON OK guys, here’s the thing

I

f you’re reading this, you probably spend a fair bit of time and energy on your personal style. Or the style of someone near and dear to you (that’s a call out to the female readers out there; Joe Dandy loves you). Your coat is no place to chintz out on that style. Yes, a coat is meant to keep you warm and dry but it can also be a strong reflection of your own personality.

And if you take nothing else away from this column, remember a suit and Gore-tex do not mix. Gore-Tex certainly has its place — this is Victoria after all — just not matched with your finest duds. Even we Victorians have our limits.

Here is a primer on what should be in your wardrobe this winter.

1 THE OVERCOAT If you’re an office-and-suit kind of guy, a double-breasted overcoat is essential.

You spend a lot of time picking out the right suit and crisp shirt; you’ve gone the distance, so don’t ruin it with bad choice in outerwear. An overcoat is a perfect accompaniment for the office outfit — in fact, it was created to show you off

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and give you nice clean lines.

When choosing an overcoat, stick to classic colours. While your tie choice gives a glimpse into your individuality via colour or pattern, your overcoat should be neutral.

Grey is huge this year, and navy or black are both good options.

Mid-length is the style right now, though shorter or longer are also popular. Not too long though: you aren’t on Game of Thrones.

Double breasted has been hot for the past few years, but it may not work for stockier guys, so choose to suit your build.

2 THE QUILTED JACKET Quilted jackets, which are popular this season, are generally lighter and well suited to Victoria’s winter climate. They are the perfect in-between jackets: warm enough on their own for early fall and easily layered with a sweater and scarf for the colder months.

These are good weekend jackets that can be dressed up for an outing but are casual enough for a dog walk. Colour and print, including camouflage, are trendy this year so feel free to play around a bit.

2

3 THE DUFFEL COAT A duffel coat works well in Victoria and it’s a huge style trend for fall/winter 2015. This coat is easily identifiable by its hood, toggle buttons and prominent square pockets. This coat is fashionable, great for those rare cold days, and the hood comes in handy during an Island winter when rain is not uncommon from November to April.

A duffel coat is a little less formal than a full overcoat and might be good for a casual Friday or the weekend.

You can blame big beards and ‘lumbersexuals’ for the resurgence of this jacket. It pairs very well with a flannel shirt and axe, but also with a scarf, sweater and chinos. Neutral darks are popular for this coat, as is old-school camel.

4 BOMBER JACKET The bomber jacket is huge again this year, reflecting the military style that has graced the runway the past few seasons. The beauty of this jacket is that it offers up an athletic shape and a style that, except in the most extreme versions, is quite timeless. Leather, wool and suede are popular for bomber

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YAM helps you choose coats that keep you toasty while defining you as a man of style.

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BUYING A COAT You should expect a coat to last a couple of years, though you may rotate it with other jackets within your wardrobe, so quality is key. Always make sure the stitching and lining are top notch.

When it comes to fabrics, opt for warm fabrics like wool. Cashmere is popular, but doesn’t wear as well as it easily frays, and you don’t want unraveling cuffs. If you really need the softness of cashmere, go for a blend. To preserve your purchase, at winter’s end, dry clean your coats and store them in garment bags until next winter.

Consider them an investment.

Now, let’s talk about fit, which is very important. A good coat will match your shoulder width nicely — there should be

some give (you want to be able to move) but it should never be big and slouchy. If you are buying a coat that you plan to wear over your suit, you generally want to pick one size up from your suit. To ensure a good fit, wear your suit when you try the jacket on. Remember, your coat sleeves should cover your shirt cuffs. After all, the jacket may be all about style but it still needs to keep you warm.

When you are trying on possible coats, don’t just slip the coat on — move around in it, find a chair and sit down while wearing the coat, raise your arms, do a little dance, tie your shoes. Your life is not spent standing in one place; your outerwear needs to accommodate that.

Even if our winters here don’t generally dip below freezing, you’ll still need something to ward off the damp and chill.

So, lament the end of summer (we all do) but look forward to how much you are going to be rocking the winter look with your new coat as a man of style and substance. ::

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jackets. Add zippers for a biker look or a shearing collar for a bit of softness. This is a great weekend jacket and goes well with everything — jeans and a tee or slacks and an Oxford button down for a night out.

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87 2015-07-24 4:44 PM

BOOKM A RKS

By Carolyn Camilleri

FALL STYLE How to Get Dressed: A Costume Designer’s Secrets for Making Your Clothes Look, Fit, and Feel Amazing

By Alison Freer | Penguin Random House, Softcover, 256 pages

Everything you could ever possibly need to know about fitting clothes, including which alterations are worth doing and remarkably simple tips for improving fit. Freer covers it all: clothing hacks and wardrobe tools, laundry and shoe care, how to break fashion rules, closet organization (so helpful!) and a guide to shopping for vintage clothes.

I rushed out and bought safety pins, Topstick and moleskin, which Freer calls her “Holy Trinity” and uses in very clever ways not intended by the manufacturers.

In Your Prime: Older, Wiser, Happier

By India Knight | Fig Tree, Hardcover, 272 pages

A British columnist and author, Knight offers a whole lifetime’s worth of guidance for women on aging: from clothes, hair and makeup to raising kids, managing elderly parents and coping with menopause. And she does it all with such blunt humour and no nonsense advice, that you can’t help but see the bright side of reaching a certain age.

She does prattle on at times and skips over bits like she’s crossing them off a list, but she is ambitiously covering a lot of territory. Well worth reading … when you get to “that age.”

downtownduncan.ca

C

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The Heart Goes Last

The Buried Giant

By Margaret Atwood McClelland & Stewart, 320 pages

By Kazuo Ishiguro Knopf Canada, 345 pages

Atwood’s newest novel, due out at the end of September, is set in Positron, the same nearfuture universe in her e-book series, released 2012-2013. Though it has the same title, setting and characters as the fourth installment, this is a standalone novel. In it, the world’s economy has collapsed and the story opens with Stan and Charmaine, who have lost their jobs and home and are living in their car. In desperation, they agree to join a social experiment in Positron, wherein civilians and prisoners switch places every month: the jailers become the jailed and vice versa. It’s funny — they are living double lives, which leads to all kinds of humour — but more than that, it’s an intensely dark, gripping tale that feels nightmarishly possible.

Set in the days just after King Arthur, this is the tale of Axl and Beatrice, a married couple of charming older Britons. It’s a time of dragons, of superstition mingled with Christianity, where a mysterious mist has erased everyone’s memories. But Axl and Beatrice have glimmers of memory about their son and believe he is expecting them in another town. As they travel, they are aided by a Saxon warrior, a Saxon youth and an elderly Sir Gawain.

This isn’t the easiest book to get into — it can drag — but it is as beautifully written as anything Ishiguro writes, and curiosity pushed me through. Somewhere along the journey, I got hooked and I was so very sad to reach the last page.

QUICK HITS

To Add to Your Shelf

The Evening Chorus

By Helen Humphreys | HarperCollins Canada, 294 pages

What a lovely haunting book this is! Set during the Second World War, this is the elegantly told story of James, an Englishman in a German prison camp, his wife Jane, who lives in the English countryside, and his sister Enid. James is a natural scientist who decides to “make a proper study” of a nest of redstarts while he is held captive. Birds and bird behaviour is a theme throughout this bittersweet story of love found and lost, damage and healing.

A History of Loneliness

By John Boyne | Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 352 pages

Want a book to get you thinking — and thinking and thinking? This could be it. Odran is a likable Irish priest who is stunningly skilled at turning the other cheek — blocking out what he is incapable of coping with. You quickly realize you have to read between the lines. After all, this is the Catholic church from about 1970 to the 1990s — take it from there. This tragic tale brings to light circumstances that may be hard to think about and turns them into a reality that is impossible to dismiss.

The Storm Murders

By John Farrow | Minotaur Books, 320 pages

If you love crime fiction, you have to check out John Farrow (who is really Trevor Ferguson) and his brilliant Emile Cinq-Mars books. This is the fourth novel featuring Cinq-Mars, a retired Montreal police detective, and the first of a new trilogy. In it, Cinq-Mars works with the FBI to solve a series of murders that cross the border between Canada and the U.S. Riveting stuff — perfect for a fall evening. :: YAM MAGAZINE

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LAST PAGE

THE ART OF BEING HUMAN

SIMON DESROCHERS

The infinite capacity for discovery is what draws Victoria sculptor Melanie Furtado to the human face and figure.

Working with live models, she uses clay to create portraits and figures that draw inspiration from the human experience.

“I love sculpting people because it is incredibly inspiring and challenging,” she says. “The subtlety of a particular gesture or facial expression has the ability to communicate the emotions of an individual in a way that everyone can relate to.”

To Furtado, a person’s style presents the opportunity to visually represent a way of thinking through a distinct aesthetic.

“I see it as a natural expression of your personality and values about life.” ::

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