Pretty collars were one of our favorite new trends this season. Kind of like a necklace and blouse in one.

                              We love how you can tuck these blouses in  for a polished look.

                                    Or wear them over tights with boots or some heels .

Looking forward to working these in to our spring wardrobe. Love to hear how you feel about embellished collars!

Quinoa (pronounced “keen-wah”) is all the rage these days. People love the little superfood that could for a number of reasons, such as (1) its trendy (2) it is full of all kinds of nutrients and good for you things (3) it is delicious. Seriously. Quinoa has a nutty flavour and a great texture that lends well to replacing all your favourite bad-for-you rice dishes with great-for-you quinoa. Take this quinoa version of fried rice. It is a cinch to prepare, easily customizable based on what’s hanging out in your fridge, and very satisfying.

 1 cup quinoa

2 Tablespoons vegetable oil

½ package firm tofu, drained and patted dry with paper towel, then cut into ½ inch cubes

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 inch fresh ginger, peeled and minced

1 Tablespoon sesame oil

About 1 ½ cups assorted stir fry veggies (I used diced red pepper and celery here because that’s what I had on hand. I also like this with shelled edamame, grated carrot, or shredded cabbage. Do what  makes you feel good)

¼ cup light soy sauce

A couple dashes hot sauce or chili garlic sauce

2 eggs, beaten

3 green onions, chopped in ½ inch pieces

Directions:

(1)    Cook quinoa according to package directions. Fluff with a fork and set aside.

(2)    Heat vegetable oil in heavy bottom skillet over medium. Add tofu cubes and stir fry until golden, about 5 minutes. In last 2 minutes of cooking, add garlic and ginger and continue to cook, stirring. Remove tofu mixture to bowl.

(3)    Heat sesame oil in the same skillet over medium. Add veggies and stir fry until tender-crisp, about 3- 5 minutes. 

Boxing day in Winnipeg this year was a brisk -20 and i thought it might be interesting to see who was outside braving the cold as opposed to the madness of the malls.

I met Hailey Grey on her way for a short skate, her first one this year! I asked Hailey, an ex Winnipegger now living in Montreal for school, what her favorite treats of the Holidays were.

Favorite Holiday Drink: Hot Toddies are a must to keep you warm, plus if there is tea in it it's not that bad for you right?
Baking Necessity: Shortbread cookies because everyone loves a good shortbread cookie.
Best Meal Item: There is nothing better than Perogies. I've eaten Perogies this entire holiday. 

Sounds yummy.Enjoy Winnipeg Haily

Till next week,stay warm.

All photos Brown Paper Bag Photography

 

 

Looking for something to wear on New Years? It's the one time of the year (except maybe Christmas) when wearing outrageous amounts of sparkle is both encouraged and accepted but sometimes a less shine is what a girl is looking for.


This cute ensemble starts off with a sheer emerald top that features a sparkly gold peter pan collar. We coupled it with a pair of gold studded shorts - the perfect compromise between edgy and sophisticated.

While most people opt for dresses or skirts for occasions such as New Years Eve, we thought that wearing these dressy shorts would be a great alternative. While we paired them with bare legs, these babies would look just as cute with sheer black tights - or cable knit tights if the night is particularly chilly.

Come visit us at Out of the Blue for more New Years Eve outfit ideas!

One day, some years ago, artichoke dip became the popular kid in the party aisle at the grocery store. I’m not sure how this happened or why, but I do know that artichokes are delicious and that people will thank you for bringing this twist on the now-classic dip to a party. Plus, as we discussed last week, you’ve probably got lots of holiday parties to go to, and sometimes when you are invited to a party, you are also asked to bring some sort of food to share. This is in fact the perfect holiday party dip because it is so simple and easy to prepare. I like to pair this dip with spicy pita chips because the hint of chili powder really works well with the creamy, salty, savory goodness of this dip.

If you have no need to take a delicious dip to a holiday party, I can assure you that I tested it out, and this dip tastes equally good while watching The Expendables 2 on a rainy early December Sunday.

Roasted Garlic Artichoke Dip

½ cup good quality mayonnaise (just buy real, ordinary Hellman’s and forget about all that mayonnaise that tries to pretend to be good for you)

½ cup sour cream or plain Greek yogurt

1 jar marinated artichoke hearts, drained and roughly chopped

1 head roasted garlic, roughly chopped (see tip below)

1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice

¼ cup freshly grated Parmesan

½ Tbsp minced fresh parsley

½ tsp coarse salt

Generous pinch cayenne pepper

Freshly ground black pepper to taste

Directions: Mix all ingredients together in medium bowl. Cover and refrigerate 1 hour to allow flavours to develop. Season with extra salt and pepper to taste. Garnish with additional fresh parsley, serve with pita chips.

Spicy Pita Chips

1.5 Tbsp olive oil

1/8 tsp chili powder

Pinch of coarse salt

4 pita breads, cut into triangles

Directions: Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Mix oil, chili powder and salt together in the bottom of a large bowl. Add pita triangles and toss until the pita is evenly coated with oil mixture. Transfer pita to a baking sheet, spread into even layer. Bake pita for 6 – 8 minutes, stirring once during baking, until crisp but not burnt (you know, a chip-like texture).

Note: I also like to mix things up and make these pita chips with different herbs and spices. Try garlic powder, an Italian herb blend, a bit of cumin and coriander or even a touch of good curry powder. We eat these chips with hummus, Mexican-spiced quinoa salad, as a side for soup,  and for any and all occasions.

Roasted Garlic

1 head garlic – I used Canadian heirloom garlic because you really can taste the difference

Olive oil

Directions: Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Slice off top of garlic head so that the tips of the cloves are showing. Drizzle with olive oil, then wrap in foil. Bake on a baking sheet 30 – 40 minutes until the garlic is very soft. Let sit until cool enough to handle, then squeeze roasted cloves out and discard the peel.

Note: Roasted garlic is delicious in this dip, but can be used for almost anything your heart desires. Spread roasted garlic onto a pizza crust for a delicious pizza base. Use as a topping for burgers or grilled cheese. Smear onto crostini for a simple appetizer. Just eat it any way you can think of. 

Our lovely and lucky shopgirl ,Erin is off to Hawaii for  Christmas but we dressed her up as if she would be spending the holidays with us! She looks oh so lovely in this red sheath dress with sequin detailing and black lace jacket.

We like evening bags that actually support a girls night out.This one is a perfect size and has an optional x-body strap. The patterned fishnets add some visual interest against the solid colors of her out fit.

The low back and pleated details is a lovely addition to the dress. Any way you look at it this dress is a winner:)
Happy Holidays Erin. We will miss you !

You’ve checked your list and your bags are full but where’s your party dress? We love this pretty green and black dress for it’s easy festive style and special details.

Subtle gold flecks run through the green bodice making this dress perfect for Christmas dinner or a night of dancing. The tie-back is a nice surprise and we love how it aligns perfectly with your bra for easy dressing.

 

Add some gold leaf ear-rings to play up the sparkle factor in the prettiest of ways.
These are from our newest Canadian artisan,"Brooklyn Designs". Her heart is sometimes in New York but she's really a Canadian gal:)

Add a little bow belt to detail the waist ,a splash of lipstick and a side swept pony tail and you are ready to let the Christmas magic take over. Here's to a great holiday.

Photos by Brown Paper Bag Photography

This December, we held our 12 Days of Christmas Gift Giving Guide. Every day for twelve days we uploaded items from Out of the Blue that we thought were perfect for giving to a loved one...but we also had a surprise up our sleeve!

We asked you to tag yourself in the item that you most wanted to see under your tree this Christmas. We wanted to surprise one lucky person by giving them the item they tagged themselves under. That lucky person was...Tahnee Alexandria! Congratulations Tahnee! Please contact us or come by the store to receive your prize.

Winnipeg can get a little frosty so indulge yourself in cozy knits, steaming mugs of chocolate and furry hats to keep you warm. Here’s our latest line –up:

We love the whimsical skate necklace to keep us smiling through the season.

iPod friendly leather gloves help you stay connected without freezing your finger tips

The Village on a cold Thursday afternoon during exams is basically a barren wasteland. Everyone was huddled in Starbucks getting their daily dose of coffee or running straight to their destinations. Melissa Clark was on her way to purchase light bulbs and was kind enough to stop and let me admire her outfit.
Melissa Clark's Survival tips for our Winnipeg winters

1. Good boots are a definite.

2. Large amounts of outdoor activities paired with a good cup of hot chocolate. It's a great way to keep the blood flowing and enjoy the colder aspects of Winnipeg.

3. Hibernation. A sad but true fact

Brown Paper Bag Photography.

Brown Paper Bag Photography.

Brown Paper Bag Photography.

Brown Paper Bag Photography.

Brown Paper Bag Photography.

Brown Paper Bag Photography.

Brown Paper Bag Photography.

Brown Paper Bag Photography.

Well, the commercials started weeks ago, the Santa Claus Parade has come and gone and the malls are pumping out the Christmas playlists on repeat. And by God, if there's one thing that annoys people it's the 1000th time they hear "White Christmas" over a fuzzy intercom. (some things are better in moderation )

So let's add some variety to the usual Christmas fare with a couple tracks and albums from some lesser-known Christmas collaborators!

Here’s our top 5 picks to keep you grooving and chillin’ through the holidays.

Best Chillout Album -Christmas Island: Leon Redbone

This is the Canadian vaudeville revivalist's classic take on Christmas. When was there a vaudeville revival, you ask? Couldn't tell you, but the iconic Mr. Redbone is clearly the elder statesman. Soulful, relaxing and totally genuine, he croons his way through 10 covers and 3 originals on this album, joined by Dr. John for what is possibly the coolest ever rendition of "Frosty The Snowman." Perfect for floating away in front of a roaring fire on a quiet December night.

 

Best Album to Drink Egg Nog to - Christmas In The Heart: Bob Dylan

Not many people saw this coming from the seemingly unstoppable Dylan, but an album (his 47th) full of raspy Christmas magic was just what he gave us. Bob and his band tackle a list of carols and classic Xmas pop songs that, on paper, should be anathema to a crotchety old folk iconoclast like Dylan. But he pulls it off with gusto, approaching each song from a different angle and giving us an album that mixes the Victorian with the Nashvillian. The rousing (and immediately danceable) version of "Must Be Santa" is highly recommended. Watch this video and you’ll see why!

Best Tell Christmas Like It Is Album - Funky Christmas by James Brown

Oh baby, this is not your momma's Christmas album (unless she was really, really cool). Brown, as always, gives his all on a record that blisters through 17 soulful tracks of pure Christmas feeling. From the fun ("Go Power At Christmas Time") to the serious ("Santa Claus Go Straight To The Ghetto") each second you get with Mr. Superbad is a gift itself. He'll make you dance and smile, shout and sing, stop and reflect, then dance and smile again! So get down, get busy, get thankful, get giving.

Best Impress Your Friends With This Obscure Band’s Christmas Song - Elvis Costello Saves Christmas by Teenage Reverse Minds On Fire

Elvis Costello Saves Christmas-Who else could you count on? This one is pretty weird; an offbeat but catchy Christmas tale of danger, excitement, kidnapping and Costello, with warbly (Costello-esque?) vocals and a video possibly made by a high-schooler. Yet it has a certain je ne c'est quois to it that is hard to resist. Or maybe I'm just strange. Either way, this one-man-band is hard to forget and definitely

entertaining.

 

Best Asian Christmas Craziness 5-Space Christmas

Shonen Knife-Space Christmas: Sitting side-by-side to Johnny Cash on the Dutch Christmas compilation "Christmas Cover Up" comes a track from everyone's favorite Japanese girl trio (whether you know it or not), Shonen Knife! Feeling the Xmas blues? Can't see the true meaning of Christmas behind the crush of parents trying to kill you for the last IPhone in the store? Not for long. Shonen Knife does what they do best here: getting bouncy and happy and infecting everybody with a chorus you'll end up singing till January. Happy Happy Happy Happy Christmas.

Rustic reds and comfy knits make the perfect combination for the holiday season. We paired this loose fitted cardigan with a sheer button up blouse. We unbuttoned two buttons from the bottom of the shirt and tied it instead of letting the blouse hang naturally. This is a good method if you are wearing a higher waisted pant.

Everyone needs a toque for the winter. We prefer something a little less classic and a little more cute - like this over the top knit hat, which is perfect for outdoor activities like skating or walking the winter trails of Fort Whyte.

Beaded details adorn the collar of this sheer top, adding a touch of sparkle to an otherwise casual outfit.

Lucky for us short folk, cuffed pants are now in style and are great when styled with booties.