G! Style: ‘Tis the season to sparkle
Old Hollywood Glitz
Add a lil’ sparkle this holiday season
By Ellen Egan
There’s nothing quite like seeing the holidays roll around again for another year to remind you how quickly the time goes. And with this time of year comes the inevitable train of holiday event invites.
From office parties to neighbourhood gatherings and everything in between, the list can often seem endless. If you can manage to take on the amazing feat of trying to squeeze them all in, you’ll soon be faced with the following, and often daunting, question: what to wear?
Well, one thing is for sure, you’ll want to look fabulous. And it’s easier than you might think.
Instead of tearing out to pick up a slew of new dresses, try extending the life of pieces you already have. Be sure to choose a blank canvas (Little Black Dress, anyone?) and add special elements to it. One word: sparkle.
Think Old Hollywood glitz – done tastefully, of course.
Sparkly accessories are the quickest way to up the voltage of an ordinary outfit in one glittery sweep. Just be sure to choose them wisely. Going overboard with a matching necklace and earring set can leave you looking over-done. Pair a bold necklace with dainty earrings, or large drop earrings with a simple chain. However, you can wear a statement bracelet with large, eye-catching earrings – their distance from one another means they won’t compete for attention.
Try breathing new life into your simplest outfit with the addition of a sparkly skinny belt or pumps that shimmer. And if you want to add holiday glamour to your outfit but aren’t into sequins and rhinestones, consider treating yourself to a glittery manicure. Fun and festive, it’s an easy way to glam up your look.
Dramatic cosmetics are another way to take your holiday party look up a notch. Opt for smokey eyes using blues and metallic shades with long eyelashes and smudged eyeliner. Lip colour should be kept natural with plenty of glitter or hot shades of red ranging from ruby to burgundy.
If you’re feeling a little bold this season, try rocking the newest trend in the hair scene: hair tinsel. Many salons are carrying this new product made out of a very strong poly, but as thin as hair. That’s right, my friends. This new option for adding colour or sparkle to your hair is not just for the Christmas tree anymore.
As always, keep it classy!
Ellen Egan dazzles us with her fashion and style insights in her monthly column, G! Style.
Old Hollywood Glitz Add a lil’ sparkle this holiday season By Ellen Egan There’s nothing quite like seeing the holidays roll around again for another year to remind you how quickly the time goes. And with this time of year comes the inevitable train of holiday event invites. From office parties to neighbourhood gatherings and [...]
G! Eats: Tea Time
Ellen Egan sips her way through the tea room experience, one pot at a time
For those of you who thought tea parties were reserved for little girls and their plastic, hot pink tea sets or little old ladies in floral hats, think again. Tea has come a long way and is considered the mostly widely consumed beverage in the world after water. Not a bad claim to fame, huh?
It’s just one of those things. Whether you’re catching up with an old friend or meeting someone new for the first time, there’s nothing quite like sharing a good ol’ pot of tea. It has the power to warm the heart and calm the soul after a few mere sips.
Although I’ve enjoyed my fair share of tea in the comfort of my own home or local café, I’ve never gotten gussied up and had a true “tea room” experience. Eager to explore parts of the Island before summer closes its doors on us for another year, my dinner partner and I decided to venture west to check out Miss Daisy’s Victorian Tea Room in Summerside.
Ian and Judy McKenzie opened Miss Daisy’s, named for their beloved dog, just two years ago after dreaming up the idea of owning a tea room and B & B. When Ian discovered this historic home in the seaside town, he thought it was the ideal location to bring his vision to life.
As we entered the quaint and homey dining area, teacups lined the shelves and the décor was unmistakably Victorian.
But it can’t be all about the tea, right? Obviously this jaunt would have to include the main element that I write about month after month: food. Oh, yes. And how delicious it was.
Starting right off the bat with what appeared to be a pair of biscuits, we were quickly advised from our loveable server that these were so much more. Low and behold: Biscuit Scones. We have escaped to Britain, my friends. Combine a warm, buttery inside with a flaky outside and these little fellas pass the taste test with flying colours.
We decided on the Chicken Curry (altered impeccably to suit my vegetarian/heat-seeking companion) for dinner and the night’s special of Seafood Bake (who can resist creamy, cheesy seafood?). Not surprisingly, both were instant hits. Coming paired with garden salads, split fairly evenly between fresh fruit and vegetables, let’s just say there wasn’t much talking after we dove in. The curry, with just about every vegetable you could think of, even made the following workday’s lunch.
As we ended off the evening with fine bone china playing host to steeped tea leaf perfection, the only thing left to melt our hearts was a Black Bottom Cupcake. Just imagine warm chocolate cake with a melted cream cheese and chocolate chip oasis in the centre. It’s even more decadent than it sounds.
No need to rush off to Miss Daisy’s before the season’s end. They are open year-round and will provide the ideal escape when winter comes round the bend once again.
Happy Eating (and tea drinking)!
G! Eats contributor Ellen Egan serves up her take on where Islanders are eating each month in G! and sadly, we don’t get a doggie bag.
Ellen Egan sips her way through the tea room experience, one pot at a time For those of you who thought tea parties were reserved for little girls and their plastic, hot pink tea sets or little old ladies in floral hats, think again. Tea has come a long way and is considered the mostly [...]
G! Eats: Fresh Off The Boat
Clam Diggers Beach House & Restaurant in Georgetown offers more than just a fabulous view
By Ellen Egan
It’s no huge secret that the summer weather on Prince Edward Island has been nothing short of disappointing. But I couldn’t let the threat of bad weather stop my taste buds from venturing beyond the familiar borders of Charlottetown to head “down east” to check out the latest and greatest in culinary experiences our little Island has to offer.
Located right on the water in the quaint fishing village of Georgetown, Clam Diggers Beach House & Restaurant looks like your typical PEI postcard with its harbourview deck and Island fare. I am happy to report it is oh-so much more than that.
Upon entering the restaurant, we instantly felt at home in the beach-themed eatery. Greeted by friendly, local servers and seated near the window overlooking the Georgetown Harbour, our expectations were high and our stomachs were vocalizing their excitement for what eats were on the way.
We immediately dove into the menu, which was chalked full of seafood delights (and plenty of land-lover choices, too). It was also a bonus to discover their belief in buying the freshest products from farmers and fishermen right in our own backyard.
Now, I don’t know exactly where it began but somewhere along the way in my eating adventures I developed a moderate obsession for crab cakes. And so, we decided to test out Executive Chef Norman Day’s take on the delicate dish as an appetizer. Complete with mixed greens, capers, crème fraiche and lime cilantro drizzle, these cakes were perfectly crispy on the outside, yet moist and tasty on the inside – the ideal balance in my books.
Moving on to the main course, I opted for the Chef’s Pasta of the Day – a medley of seafood (scallops, salmon, mussels, haddock, and even halibut), cherry tomatoes, roasted red peppers, onions, and a lemon-herb cream sauce served over a bed of fettuccini. Yes, it is every bit as good as it sounds, so much so that I doggy-bagged that pasta right out of there.
For the second main dish, we felt it was only appropriate to try out the classic fried clam strips and chips, given the namesake of the restaurant. Plus, the clams come fresh locally and soak for 24 hours in a floating crate just off the property’s edge to clean before cooking. Let me tell you, the portion is heaping, the batter perfectly crispy, and lemon dill mayo makes the ideal companion. What more can you ask for?
Even after feeling at capacity and completely removing my belt (forget dealing with notches!), we decided to push through and try one of the homemade desserts. Oh my. I thought I’d had good cheesecakes before, but this turtle cheesecake takes the cake, literally.
So what are you waiting for – a sunny evening? Don’t hold your breath given the summer we’ve been having. Good food can be eaten in all types of weather so hurry up and get out there before the summer passes you by!
Happy Eating!
Read all about Ellen Egan’s culinary adventures each month in G!
Clam Diggers Beach House & Restaurant in Georgetown offers more than just a fabulous view By Ellen Egan It’s no huge secret that the summer weather on Prince Edward Island has been nothing short of disappointing. But I couldn’t let the threat of bad weather stop my taste buds from venturing beyond the familiar borders [...]
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