Lise's Ramblings

What's not to like about these accessories? Hats can communicate ceremony, style and countless other statements. The milliners work magic choosing between vintage and avant-garde . Veiled or feathered. Wide brim or cropped. Ribbons or appliqués. Flowered or bejeweled. Formal or casual. Understated or outrageous. AWESOME! My favourites are the cloche hats of the 1920s. Yours?

Have you ever used an ironing board with a silent opening mechanism? All the ironing boards I've owned or borrowed have shrieked as though cats were being tortured by the fires of Hell. I can imagine that an ironing board with a quiet mechanism, which doesn't wake up people four houses away, would be AWESOME!

Apart from yoga masters, not too many of us understand the value of deep breaths. Most of us tend to think of breathing as nothing more than what we must do to stay in the land of the living. Yet a few deep breaths can help clear a cluttered mind, relax tense muscles and stop you from blurting out words you may regret. So practice the art of breathing from the depths of your body. Expand your lungs to full capacity. Oxygenate your blood. And if it's fresh sea air you're taking in, then that just makes it more AWESOME!

As a child, Easter wasn’t about overdosing on chocolate. Admittedly, back then I was envious of classmates who brought their cocoa hauls in their lunch boxes, but now I appreciate our family’s traditions. For us, Easter was about new skipping ropes, hot cross buns, matching handmade Sunday dresses for the sisters, Easter lilies next to the altar, and scrumptious meals with family and friends. Now, my knees protest when I jump rope and my domestic skills are sorely lacking when it comes to cooking and sewing. But I still long for our traditions, especially the sisters part. Whenever possible, I try to spend Easter with my sisters. This year I must settle for a virtual visit, provided that we can set up a three-way Skype session to span three time zones and varied schedules. Apart from the siblings bit, I’ve started my Easter weekend with hot cross buns, lilies and a stroll past a park where girls were skipping rope. And tomorrow, I will have Sunday dinner with good friends. Tr...

When I was young, certain dishes automatically made me feel grown up. For some reason, one particular group of dishes seemed rather worldly: cold soups. What is it about gazpacho, vichyssoise and cucumber soups? They just seem to add a little panache to any meal. During my recent vacation, cold soups achieved a whole new level of sophistication. Romel and Constantin served me a piña colada soup served in a cocktail glass aboard the Star Princess. Foods that make you feel grown up or a little special… AWESOME! Have any foods ever made you feel like you’re in another league? If so, please let me know by commenting below. Here's a link to a photo of another cruise passenger enjoying said piña colada soup and here's the official recipe for this rich and entirely over-the-top appetizer. Frozen Rum-Infused Piña Colada Soup from Princess Cruises yields 10 servings Ingredients: 2⅔ lbs pineapple (keep some slices for garnish) 1 cup sugar, granulated 2¾ cup plain yo...

Far be it for me to disagree with the Renaissance Man. He achieved simplicity through a great deal of planning, skill and care. Usually if something appears simple then someone has expended much effort to get it to that state. For me, simplicity comes in many forms and I appreciate them all. For example, basic explanations for hard-to-understand subjects clean lines in designs easy-to-follow, intuitive directions remote controls with minimal buttons packaging that minimizes waste and is effortless to remove meals that practically prepare themselves freedom from complexity and extraneous clutter Simplicity. Truly and simply... AWESOME!

While I am not a fan of unexpected textures in anything I eat, I quite enjoy seeing and touching weird and wonderful plant textures. Here are two examples: A friend of mine recently received two birthday bouquets and the flower shown in this picture looked and felt like it had feathers. Seriously, if you had a bunch of these flowers, you could make a boa. (Anyone know the name of this exotic flower?) How about furry buds on a tree? Pussy willows are one of my favourite signs of spring. At this time of year, you can purchase these gems at your local farmers' market or you can spot them along trails. Bizzare, fascinating and most definitely AWESOME!

A friend shows up on your porch with a case of cold ones. An officer hands you a complimentary glass of champagne to welcome you to the captain’s cocktail reception. You’re in a restaurant and a couple at the next table receives wine “on the house” to make up for a lackluster meal. That couple wants to call it a night and offers the carafe to you. Cheers. Prost. Salute. Santé. Bottom’s up. Or as my Francophone friends in Ottawa say, “Iglou, iglou, iglou.” AWESOME! BTW, that's a sunburn, not alcohol-induced redness ;-)

Then you just know something succulent is headed your way. It doesn’t matter if you’re in a fancy steakhouse, at a friend’s place or sitting in your own kitchen, you salivate knowing that grilled beef is on the menu. For once in a blue moon, it also matters very little what sides and condiments accompany the meal. (That's not to say you don't enjoy the extras, but it really is all about the entrée .) Apologies to my vegetarian and vegan friends, but for me a serving of tender beef always scores an AWESOME!

Yes, that's where a spa and paradise merge. That's how I would describe the thermal suites on the Star Princess. Picture this... Dimmed lights Soft music Pleasing lavender scents Endless supplies of citrus water, tea and fresh fruit Aromatherapy saunas Comfy bathrobes and thick towels Steam saunas with heated tile benches Private, adults-only spa pool Refreshing rainshower soaks (gentle shower heads spraying you from above and from sides) Heated stone beds (see photo on right) Now add unlimited VIP thermal suite access for the entire duration of the cruise. All that pampering and relaxation equals spa-ridise indeed.   AWESOME!

Proximity and a stronger dollar mean that we Canadians tend to flit back and forth across the Canada–U.S. border on a fairly regular basis. These trips usually begin and end with lengthy waits at bridges, airports and other border crossings or customs areas. There's a reason there are apps to keep us posted about border wait times. So imagine my surprise and delight when I happened upon empty, cavernous custom rooms at Pierre Elliot Trudeau Airport (it's still Dorval to me) in Montréal. Not once, but twice. No lines winding for miles guided by those metal posts and stretchy, queue markers that herd people like cattle. That's right, I just strolled on up to the guard, handed over the completed forms and my passport, smiled, answered a couple of quick questions, and ta da I was through customs. This kind of clear sailing may not happen often, but when it does it is AWESOME!

Even when I’m headed to a much desired destination, air travel ranks high on my list of least favourite things to do. So it’s a treat to find a positive buried amongst all the crowds, delays and hassles. That small pleasure can be as simple as winning the mini lottery of having your seat section called immediately after the passengers with priority boarding privileges (i.e., families with your children or those poor unfortunate souls who fly so frequently for business that they are in a frequent-flyer class all of their own). Yes, when your row is called up early it’s almost like having your table called up first at a major banquet . But instead of just having first dibs at the hottest, choicest foods, when it comes to travel the bonuses of boarding early are numerous. The airplane jackpot means you can pick any number of empty overhead compartments for your carry-on luggage, the crew may be in good spirits as they’ve yet to greet hoards of rude and cranky passengers, you aren’t...