experimenting in the dark

I have always given up taking photos under low light using digital cameras. And so my curiosity had gotten the better of me, and I had brought the D90 for a visit to the lab last night for a little dark experiment (as well as to motivate myself to go to work after dinner).

Day or night, this lamp on my way to the lab have always looked like a UFO to me.

In Scientific territory where my precious(s) grow i.e. the Controlled Environment Facility (CEF)

And then there was this other kind of experimenting that I had to get done:

My tobacco mutants having their night cycle. Wakey, wakey ~

Cleaning of lots of trays filled with algal gunk and plant sex (pollination) happened for the next few hours.

The exit sign in the CEF had looked especially tempting at 3am.

Happy 1st of December! :)

Still groggy from this morning,
xxx

Why Is Lucia Mad?

Wanna know why Lucia is mad? To find out, scan this QR code.

Mixed Nut Vanilla Brittle

OK, our week of Gifts from the Kitchen continues with this super-easy brittle that I pretty much adore for two reasons: you make it in the microwave, not on the stove, and there is no candy thermometer required. I actually do own a candy thermometer, but I'm a little afraid of it. I only have a dim sense of what things like the "soft crack" stage is, and usually anything with terminology like that is enough to make me move on to something safer, like chocolate chip cookies. But THIS particular recipe is a whole 'nother story.

You need a nice big microwave-safe bowl and a baking tray with sides. Line the baking tray with non-stick foil, and either give the foil a good spray with Pam or butter it well. Now measure out all the ingredients, including the butter and the vanilla and the baking soda, because this baby is going to go FAST at the very end.

OK! So you start by putting sugar and corn syrup in the microwave, first covering the bowl with plastic wrap and then uncovering it. That mixture is going to melt and bubble dramatically, which is exactly what we want. Now, throughout all of this, be very, very careful when taking that bowl out of the microwave - molten sugar is as hot as hot gets. Next you drop the nuts in, and nuke it one minute longer. Now comes the really fun part - drop in the butter, vanilla and baking soda, and it will literally transform before your very eyes into something that looks like liquid brittle. Now pour it FAST into the foil-lined baking sheet and spread it around with a spatula or spoon that you have cleverly sprayed ahead of time with Pam. That's it! Once you have spread it out as best you can, leave it alone on the counter for about an hour, and when you come back you will have a glorious sheet of hardened brittle.

Lift the brittle off the foil - it may be a little buttery on the bottom from the butter or Pam, and if so you can blot it with a paper towel. Now break it up into chunks, and congratulate yourself for making brittle with No Candy Thermometer. Triumph!!

Next up: Chocolate Pretzel Bites. Oh, baby.

Mixed Nut Vanilla Brittle, adapted from Southern Living

• 2 cups sugar
• 1 cup light corn syrup
• 12 ounces lightly salted mixed nuts
• 2 tablespoons salted butter
• 1 tablespoon baking soda
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1. Line a large baking sheet with non-stick foil, and butter or spray with Pam.

2. Combine sugar and corn syrup in large microwave safe bowl, stir well and cover with plastic wrap. Microwave on high for 4 minutes. Carefully uncover and microwave for an additional 8 minutes.

3. Carefully stir in nuts and microwave for 1 more minute.

4. Working quickly, stir in butter, baking soda and vanilla. Quickly pour into foil-lined pan, spreading to edges with a spoon or spatula that is sprayed with Pam.

5. Cool in pan on countertop. Once fully hardened (about 30-60 minutes) break into pieces.

Click here for printable recipe

Russell Brand and Alfred Molina's costumes from The Tempest...

In Julie Taymor's 2010 movie adaptation of Shakespeare's play, The Tempest, Russell Brand and Alfred Molina star alongside Helen Mirren and an ensemble cast.

Original movie costumes featured in The Tempest

These two original costumes featured in the movie were photographed on display at ArcLight Hollywood cinema on November 24, 2010.

The Tempest movie poster

Oscar-Winning British Costume Designer Sandy Powell was responsible for creating these movie costumes. She is the recipient of three Academy Awards for Best Costume Design, for The Young Victoria (2010), Shakespeare in Love (1998) and The Aviator (2004).

Costume worn by Russell Brand as Trinculo in The Tempest

'Trinculo' and 'Stephano' are responsible for providing most of the comic relief in Shakespeare's The Tempest.

Actual costume worn by Alfred Molina as Stephano in The Tempest

If you're a fan of Alfred Molina, be sure to also check out the costume he wore as 'Horvath' in Disney's The Sorcerer's Apprentice here at Hollywood Movie Costumes and Props.

Buy the original Shakespeare play that inspired the movie: The Tempest

Buy the movie: The Tempest [Blu-ray]

The Tempest

The Philly Trio

Didja know that not only did Lucia di Lammermoor's Michael Fabiano, Eglise Gutiérrez and Burak Bilgili train at the esteemed Academy of Vocal Arts in Philadelphia, but the trio also live in Philadelphia?



And yes, when they're all in town at the same time, they do hang out.

Find out more about Lucia di Lammermoor.

Don't miss out! Get your tickets now!
Single tickets starting at $29 (plus handling fee). Call our ticketing centre at 604.683.0222 or purchase online here.

BONUS: To get your free Lucia di Lammermoor poster with your tickets, give our box office PROMO CODE 2956 when you call in or enter PROMO CODE 2956 on the login page on our website.

~ Ling Chan, Social Media Manager

{ vid/nesday: the green hornet trailer }

Who wouldn't love a video that starts off with:

There's a party going down at the casa de Britt (insert riff) Bring all your friends, as long as they are chicks.

Sexist? Maybe so. Do I care? Not so much so. Well, not this time at least.

My love for Jay Chou (aka Kato aka Green Hornet) has outlasted the love I have had for my ex. That is how much I adore him and his music. We will have to see if his acting will damage this relationship.

He doesn't sound so silly in Chinese now, does he?

Lookin' forward to the New Year, xo

PS: Was that Cameron Diaz I saw in the trailer?? I can't believe I absolutely missed that!

Bah Hum Bug

I've been hit by the Bah-Hum-Bug bug, bad! I can't seem to get into the holiday spirit. . . I'm at the point where I don't even want to decorate for Christmas, and I'm thinking of cancelling my plans.

I know I promised at least 5 wreath tutorials, but so far all the supplies are just sorta laying there staring at me. . . so we might have to settle for 5 wreath tutorial links. . .

striped hat.

striped hat by lazy oaf.

striped hat.

striped hat by lazy oaf.

Manzanita in the Snow

No, I'm not quite done with the autumn stuff yet, but it'll keep for a bit.  We're well into the winter season up here in the mountains and I've been kind of slow getting started on taking advantage of this new environment's opportunities.  I figured it's about time to get out and capture some of the beautiful local scenery.. winter is probably the most attractive season, photographically speaking, in this area.
Manzanita bushes are everywhere up here and they are an especially interesting subject with their intricate branching and contrasting bark that grows away from the wood over much of the tree.. this one has more bark coverage than most.  They stay green all winter and produce thousands of small red berries, thus the name which means "little apple" in Spanish.
I found this almost perfectly shaped one growing among some lichen-covered rocks and snow. There are also some evergreen oaks in the background there, contributing to the green-ness. We were showing some visiting friends around the area and for some reason I just decided to grab my old Nikon D70 that I haven't used for years, and throw a lens on it for walking around.  On close inspection, the quality of this image is really awful compared to what I'm used to.. I guess technology really HAS improved a lot over the last 6-7 years.  I plan to go back to this spot on a similar day and get it on film, or at least a decent digital capture when I get a chance. 

Shadow Of The Ninja

Our Opera Ninja army is growing!

A stealthy welcome to the newest addition to our clan: Opera Ninja Tris Hussey. Like a ghostly apparition at midnight, one can never sure if they've seen our newest shadow. Ninjas are known to possess invisibility and shape-shifting abilities, you know.

It'll be one clan watching two others on Thursday, December 2. Join Opera Ninja Tris as he reports on all the intrigues between the Ashtons and the Ravenwoods at the Lucia di Lammermoor dress rehearsal.

Whether employing tactics such as Tanuki-gakure (camouflaging oneself up in the trees) or Ukigusa-gakure (camouflaging oneself under water with duckweed), Opera Ninja Tris will get you closer to all the action.

Follow along Thursday night's dress rehearsal at our Twitter: @Operaninja or along the right side-bar of this blog.

The action begins at 7pm.

Sponsored by:


~ Ling Chan, Social Media Manager

Lucia Fan Night & Backstage Tour

Lucia Fan Night is Tuesday, December 7!

If you're coming to Lucia di Lammermoor on December 7, come a wee bit earlier and get a backstage tour. The tour will be led by our artistic team who will give you some behind the scenes insights to what you'll be watching on stage.

When: Tuesday, December 7, 630pm
Where: Meet at the far east side of the lobby

Please RSVP by December 6 to lchan@vancouveropera.ca for your exclusive look backstage.

Twitter/Facebook Fan Night sponsored by The Georgia Straight:



~ Ling Chan, Social Media Manager

{ feature: 2011 TED prize winner -- JR }

JR is a 27 year-old French artist who developed a passion for photography after finding his first camera in the Parisian subway.

He has recently been granted the 2011 Technology, Entertainment and Design (TED) prize, which entitles him $100,000 as well as the support from the TED community to carry out his amazing photography projects around the world.

An idea of how prestigious this award is? Previous winners were Bill Clinton, Bono and chef Jamie Oliver.

JR is only known by his initials and has never been seen without his sunglasses. His anonimity has a lot to do with his work. The kind of art JR does is large scale and unconventional -- he photographs the faces of people he meets, turn them into enormous black and white prints and then with the help of volunteers, paste these images on buildings, bridges, walls and other surfaces in the urban environment (think buses and trains even!). It is therefore no surprise that JR is extremely protective of his identity, as mounting of these large images have been considered illegal in countries like China.

Here are two videos on JR's attempt to highlight the dignity of mistreated women around the world:

...when you hear their stories, you're like,"whoa, maybe this person has died inside". But then when you ask her to do faces -- then you can see life.

And then this video of Randy Kennedy from the New York Times having a telephone interview with JR after the announcement of the 2011 TED prize winner:

An image can portray so much; can do so much.

See here, here and here for more details on JR's work (if you are more of a picture person like myself, watch a slideshow of JR's work instead). You can also visit JR's official website :)

inspired in so many ways, xo

600th Post Giveaway!!

Actually, I slacked off a bit, and this is actually post #605. . . Holy cow! 605! That's a lot of posts!

And in celebration of this new milestone, our good friends over at CSN, purveyors of everything from leather messenger bags to Eames loungers, have offered up a $45 gift certificate to one luck Laurendy reader!

All you have to do to enter is leave a comment on this post (make sure to leave some from of contact info in your comment so I can let you know if you win).

You can also score an extra entry by tweeting about this giveaway over on twitter (make sure you include a like to this post) and then come on by an leave another comment here!!

The winner will be chosen at random on Wednesday, December 8th.

I Made A Pie

a sweet potato pie. . . from scratch! Besides from making the crust (which I ended up having to do twice) this pie was super easy to make.

2 cups mashed sweet potato
1/2 cup of sugar (I think)
3 eggs
pinch of salt
1/2 a teaspoon each of nutmeg, allspice, and cinnamon
1 cup of sour cream

mix together, pour into an unbaked pie crust, heat the oven to 375, and bake for like 40 minutes (or if your oven sucks like mine does, it's closer to an hour)

It's super yummy - and because it's not super duper sweet or heavy it can be eaten with dinner.

Christmas Lite: Diminished Decorating for Curious Paws

Longtime readers of The Thrift Shop Romantic know I tend to go all out when Christmas comes around, with decorated theme trees in most of my rooms and no surface left undecked.

But this year, with the addition of my kittens Alice and Harry (particularly Harry) I am unsure how delicate decor will fare under the attentions of curious paws. For to them life is bright and new and terribly, terribly battable.

Yes, Harry, I am talking about you...

So I'm planning on doing Christmas Lite this year, with only one main tree in my livingroom and decked in shatterproof Christmas balls-- just to be on the safe side.

I'm trying to keep most temptations up off the floor and away from tasting tongues and poking paws.

I'm going with a sort of candy-colored theme this year in my diningroom... layering red, mint-green and pink onto my table and mantle...
My opalescent Moonstone Anchor Hocking china seemed a frosting-like contrast to the sweet colors.

And it gave me a chance to display some cardboard houses that look tempting, but likely taste a bit bland...

You can see a close-up of those here...
Shatterproof balls in a bowl feature as the centerpiece...
And three different colored tablecloths get a tiered petticoat look when secured with a vintage pin...This allows me to have red in the usually pink and mint-green color scheme of the room, without it being too dominant.

In the entryway to the room's left, I've swagged some simple garland along with bottlebrush wreaths from an end of last season clearance...

And my usual transferware pieces on this shelf are replaced with more cardboard village pieces...
Ah, but still, even with the best laid plans, you cannot predict what will happen when Godzilla rises from the deep to stomp the Christmas village...
Fortunately, all the villagers seem all right-- just suffering from a little post-traumatic stress.

Now I'm wondering what it will be like when I set up the tree...

Wish me luck!

Christmas Lite: Diminished Decorating for Curious Paws

Longtime readers of The Thrift Shop Romantic know I tend to go all out when Christmas comes around, with decorated theme trees in most of my rooms and no surface left undecked.

But this year, with the addition of my kittens Alice and Harry (particularly Harry) I am unsure how delicate decor will fare under the attentions of curious paws. For to them life is bright and new and terribly, terribly battable.

Yes, Harry, I am talking about you...

So I'm planning on doing Christmas Lite this year, with only one main tree in my livingroom and decked in shatterproof Christmas balls-- just to be on the safe side.

I'm trying to keep most temptations up off the floor and away from tasting tongues and poking paws.

I'm going with a sort of candy-colored theme this year in my diningroom... layering red, mint-green and pink onto my table and mantle...
My opalescent Moonstone Anchor Hocking china seemed a frosting-like contrast to the sweet colors.

And it gave me a chance to display some cardboard houses that look tempting, but likely taste a bit bland...

You can see a close-up of those here...
Shatterproof balls in a bowl feature as the centerpiece...
And three different colored tablecloths get a tiered petticoat look when secured with a vintage pin...This allows me to have red in the usually pink and mint-green color scheme of the room, without it being too dominant.

In the entryway to the room's left, I've swagged some simple garland along with bottlebrush wreaths from an end of last season clearance...

And my usual transferware pieces on this shelf are replaced with more cardboard village pieces...
Ah, but still, even with the best laid plans, you cannot predict what will happen when Godzilla rises from the deep to stomp the Christmas village...
Fortunately, all the villagers seem all right-- just suffering from a little post-traumatic stress.

Now I'm wondering what it will be like when I set up the tree...

Wish me luck!