Tuna? Something's not fishy!

This makes us happy!  Raincoast Tuna, is paving the way for a brighter and more responsible future for our oceans!  They have received approval by both the Vancouver Aquarium's Ocean Wise program and Greenpeace Canada, which recently awarded the company top marks for it's sustainability.  How?  By not using purse seine nets or floating lines that trail with thousands of baited hooks, the way most tuna companies do it.  Every fish the company cans is caught from healthy stocks in the Pacific Northwest by surface trolling or pole and line, which means a single barb-less hook on a single line attached to the back of a boat.  And then the tuna is cooked in its BPA free cans to retain its nutrients and naturally occurring oils.  Yum!

Now if only we could convince other canned fish companies to get on board with these healthier and environmentally friendly ways, we would be sure to make a very positive impact.  Perhaps in time, and in the meantime I will be only purchasing Raincoast Trading products to show my support.  Well done Raincoast!

A bit more about the company:

The founder of Raincoast Trading comes by his concern for the future of fish and their habitat legitimately. Mike Wick's family has been in the fishing business for four generations and he learned very young to embrace environmental stewardship and responsibility.

Raincoast Trading has been selling premium wild seafood products since 1978. Based in Vancouver on the west coast of Canada, the company is proud to offer consumers sustainably-harvested, gourmet canned seafood.

Raincoast Trading adheres to the highest sustainability standards when catching, processing and packaging its seafood. The company's seafood is single-cooked and packed in natural fish oils, which results in a rich, dense flavour and loads of extra nutrition typically not found in most canned seafood products.

Raincoast Trading is the first Canadian packaged retail seafood company endorsed by the respected Ocean Wise™ conservation program as an environmentally-friendly seafood choice for retail grocers and consumers around the world.

Find out more at Raincoast Trading and browse through a great selection of recipes.

Anna Magazine - Our Fave!

Have you all heard of Anna? 

Anna is amazing!  Let us show you...

 

Now that we have your attention, let us tell you about this Winnipeg based magazine:

Founder and Creative Director, Mari Loewen, after much soul searching, found herself at the age of 40, realizing the lifetime of sketches and ideas could be something more. The idea of a magazine seemed daunting and exciting all at the same time, and after much brainstorming, a concept presented itself. A unique marriage of food and inspiration, with simple beautiful recipes, exceptional design, beautiful photography and luxurious paper.

As much of the magazine’s inspiration came from Mari’s own family traditions, it was named ANNA, after her Mother. As a frugal homemaker, she used only fresh local ingredients and took the time to make things special. Long before organic became fashionable, Mari was privileged to enjoy this way of life. Although named after her Mother, her father's entrepreneurial spirit that taught her anything is possible. Today, ANNA Magazine sells throughout North America.

And from the pages of Anna, here's one of our favorite summer recipes:

Lemon-curd tart with blackberries

1 cup plus 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
1 tablespoon canola oil
3 tablespoons cold water
1 tablespoon sugar
1⁄4 teaspoon fine sea salt
11⁄2 cups all-purpose flour
1 ½ cups lemon curd (see index)
2 cups fresh blackberries, washed

Preheat oven to 400°F.
In a medium ovenproof glass bowl, add butter, oil, water, sugar, and salt. Place in oven and cook until mixture is boiling and butter starts to brown, 15 to 17 minutes. Remove from oven and quickly add flour, bit by bit, until dough pulls away from edges of bowl. Form into a ball and press dough into an 8-inch pie dish. Chill for 30 minutes.
Pierce bottom of crust with fork, line with foil, and fill with pie weights or dried beans; bake for 15 to 17 minutes. Remove weights and foil; bake until lightly golden, about 10 minutes. Remove from oven. Let cool completely before filling.  Spread lemon curd into prepared crust. Chill 2 hours. Slice and serve with blackberries.  Makes 8 slices.

Lemon curd
6 egg yolks, room temperature
2 eggs, room temperature
1 cup sugar
3⁄4 cup fresh lemon juice
1⁄4 cup unsalted butter, cubed and chilled

In a small bowl, whisk together eggs, sugar, and lemon juice. Pour into a small saucepan. Cook over low heat, stirring with wooden spoon until thicken, about 3 to 5 minutes. Remove from heat and mix in butter, piece by piece. Transfer to bowl. Cover and chill 1 hour or up to 2 days.
Makes 11⁄2 cups lemon curd.

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Visit Anna | Make Everyday Special to subscribe today. 

Creating a perfect outdoor space.

Outdoor spaces should be just as functional and desirable as your indoor space. 

Like the inside of your home, your outdoor living space can reflect that same personal style that you have created and grown to love.  Don't be afraid to add some fun and inviting elements outdoors to make it truly livable and welcoming, it really can be an extension of your home by creating a useful space to lounge, entertain or play. 

Here are some easy rules to follow when creating your perfect outdoor space:

Comfortable Seating - whatever your design style is, don't be afraid to still reflect your personality.  There are many options now-a-days for every budget and style.   

Some shaded areas - this is a must for every backyard space.  Keep guests, pets and little ones comfortable with a designated shaded area.  An easy and beautiful way to do this is by creating a simple wood structure and letting a variety of vines and flowering plants grow their way up and over.  This takes a bit more time and patience by the rewards are well worth it.

Cooking area - nothing goes better than a great plate of food with a comfortable place to sit.  A large budget is certainly not needed to have your own outdoor kitchen.  Create your own beautiful outdoor grilling space with second hand furniture, and your basic barbecuing essentials. 

Finishing touches - and now for the fun part!  Fill in all those empty corners and frame walkways with an eclectic mix of planters, pots and buckets.  Give it some personality, whether its modern or country, be creative and keep it neat and tidy for a lovely polished look. 

And lastly, lighting - use candles, strung lights, pathway lanterns, mason jars or a chandelier.  Nothing sets the mood better than the right use of lighting. 

Have fun creating your perfect outdoor space!  Hope we were able to help inspire you.

Gorgeous bags

Weren't we excited to see a variation of our gorgeous shopping bags on display at local company Essential Packaging.  What do you think... how do they look? 

Did you know House Warmings offers gift wrapping?  All you need to do is ask, and we would be happy to lend a hand... complimentary. 

When in doubt...

When in doubt add a mongolian.

Brand new shippment of Mongolian Lambs Wool cushions have just arrived in store.  Choose from an assortment of colors and sizes.  You really can't go wrong with this one.

Our Favourite

Style at Home just released their new "Special" issue of their 100 Best Designer Secrets.  And anyone who follows great design knows this is a must have issue.  Filled with gorgeous room decor, colors and styling we love.  It showcases so much fresh white and natural shades with beautiful pops of color.  So elegant, so modern, so romantic... exactly what House Warmings' Urban Romance style is all about. 

And as we flipped through each glorious glossy page we were thrilled when we spotted one of our own!  A beautiful oval ottoman from the Cobistyle collection.  In the magazines a fun black and white graphic print and the one that we will have (which is on its way in store as we speak!) in this beautifully romantic silver and black fabric:

If you don't have a copy yet, we highly suggest you run out right now and get yourself one or order your copy online here directly from Style at Home.  BONUS: You can purchase back issues as well if there are any ones that you've missed

Spring finds

This week we received a gorgeous selection of new items in the store.  We snapped a few photos so you can see for yourself some of the beautiful items we find in from buying travels.  Our floor selection turns over quickly so we are always adding wonderful new items every week that inspire us to create gorgeous comfortable Urban Romance vignettes that are full of color and personal style. 

Pop by to see these items in person, as our amateur photo skills are certainly not doing them any justice!

Upholstery at its finest!

Our friends at Surrey Upholstery has done yet another amazing job for a dear customer of ours.  She was absolutely thrilled with the results and so were we.  So much so, that we have to give Surrey Upholstery a big shout out for a jog very well done.  The work is impeccable with gorgeous finishing touches, we certainly felt like they went above and beyond what was expected.  And can we mention just how friendly the service was?  

Are you looking for some upholstery needs?  Did you know House Warmings can order designer fabric for you by the meter?  Choose from our hundreds and hundreds of gorgeous upholstery weight fabrics from Canadian brands like Cobistyle, Steven & Chris, Stylus, Van Gogh and Decor-Rest.  Let us assist you with your fabric selection and help co-ordinate your finishing needs with Surrey Upholstery.  Time to turn that run down chair into a work of art!

Here's a quick peak at our recent customers custom cushion covers:

Find Surrey Upholstery in Surrey, BC - http://www.surreyupholstrey.ca/

Cheeky cheeky

Sometimes, all you want to say is what you really mean. Just say it like it is.  For some people there might be no reason to sugar coat it, pretend to care or even hide that bit of jealously we all have in us, and that's exactly where these simple, sometimes slightly offensive and eco-friendly cards fit in.  Cheeky and cute, they get right to the point. 

A fabulous selection has just arrived in store and we are happy to share one of our favorites with you... on the outside it simply states: you bitch.  On the inside it says: what I mean is... you look amazing, birthday girl!  I'm sure any good friend would appreciate your honesty! 

 

Look what we found!

In the April 2012 issue of one of our favorite Canadian decor magazines, Style at Home, they feature the gorgeous cobistyle chair in Teal Valour in their Style News section.  And guess what... we have this exact chair at House Warmings, except ours is in their gorgeous black & white print which we think is just as lovely.

Do you love this chair?   Lucky for you it's available in many fabulous colors, prints and leathers from cobistyle's current Spring collection.  How stunning would 2 of these chairs be side by side showcased in your living space?  c'est magnifique!

Gorgeous spaces...

Elle Decor has just released their Favorite Rooms of 2011, and its certainly worth taking a closer look at these beautiful and inspiring spaces.  We have picked our favorites from their list and would like to share them with you.  As you can see from the photos below, the designers of these fabulous rooms have done a wonderful job of mixing modern with rustic, pale neutrals with bold colors, clean lines with ornate details, and mixing organic shapes with just a touch of sparkle... sounds to me a little bit like Urban Romance.  Which one is your favorite space?  See the rest of the rooms here.