If you like Design and Pretty Things, You'll Love Vignettes

I am extremely lucky that my boyfriend makes beautiful things and I get to attend cool design and art events with him. For the second year in a row, I was invited to go to the Vignettes Showcase VIP Gala held on Sept. 15 and see the lovely rooms designed by multi-disciplinary teams consisting of designers, craftsmen/women, artists, woodworkers, and contractors. It was held in the old Sobey's building on Jasper and 104 street, and it was amazing!  There were ten teams who each designed their own space, which they had freedom to choose. There were bathrooms, living rooms, whisky lounges - you name it! The space itself was also transformed with giant trees and greenery, delicious cocktail stations, and some snacks from Evoolution and Get Cooking. The space was absolutely gorgeous and I was impressed with the level of design talent in Edmonton.

I am extremely proud to say that my boyfriend Chad Baba from MK Baba designs was on the winning team - Beauty in Ruins. Their vignette was breathtaking - it looked like a bathroom hidden in a secret garden paradise. Their own description said it best:

"Imagine you are in the hills of Tuscany and you come across these ruins. There once stood a structure with four walls and a roof but now hardly resembles a structure at all. Two of the walls are amazingly still standing, made from brick but weathered by the elements and overgrown with foliage. The floor is a rustic hardwood, obviously many years old and extremely weathered as well. 

However this space has been transformed into something beautiful. A serene outdoor bathing space. This once simple building turned to ruins has been re-purposed and turned into a secret oasis that is peaceful and calm." 

One of my favorite details was the bust turned into a faucet and named Farrah Faucet! HAHA.

You can learn more about this year's Vignettes winners in the December issue of Avenue magazine. I can't wait to see teh write-up! Yeahhh!

As well, check out the Vignettes website and/or search #vignettesyeg on instagram.

Of course, I'd be remiss if I also didn't encourage you to check out the MK Baba instagram to see what Chad is up to!

I also have some cool pics from last year, when Vignettes was in a smaller space but still awesome! I'll include a few just because they are so pretty! The first pic is from Chad group's space last year called the Porch. 

 

There is so much talent in Edmonton! If you can afford it, shop local and employ a local designer, craftsperson, woodworker etc.

Check out Alberta Ballet - It is 50!!!

Last year was my first time getting into theatre in a serious way. I bought season tickets for the Citadel and Theatre Network and went hard at the Fringe. What really stuck with me though was the absolutely excellent season the Citadel had - I can clearly remember being blown away by Boom, falling in love with the music and costumes and sheer epic-ness of Evangeline, feeling the visceral anger in Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf, and being utterly entertained by West Side Story. Every single play that season was a knock-out, and it was a no-brainer for me to renew my season tickets this year.

I then noticed that the Alberta Ballet was celebrating it's 50th anniversary this year! I figured if the Citadel killed it in its 50th year, the ballet probably would too. I didn't splurge quite as much, as I was less familiar with the ballet, and so I bought a three-pack subscription to get my feet wet. I chose Shadowland by Pilobus, Life by BalletBoyz, and Romeo and Juliet. So far I've seen Pilobus, and wow - it was quite the show!

                                                         Photo by Ian Douglas

The ballet was non-traditional and involved the Pilobus Dance troupe, who used shadows and light to play with the size and depth of objects and characters, which made me feel like I was in a dream. The ballet was whimsical, uber-creative, and had a soundtrack full of great tunes. The ballet felt like a magic show, full of illusions. The performers would contort their bodies to create new objects, and I would wonder how they did it. It was both sad and uplifting, and by the end I think the whole audience was swept up in a "dreamlike land of darkness, light, and adventure." The ending was particularly heart-warming, as they tailored it to the Edmonton audience by creating the Muttart pyramids with their bodies, referencing the Oilers, and of course, signalling their appreciation for Canada with a beaver.

Here's a YouTube video that gives you a glimpse into Shadowland!

Now, I know the whole point of blogging is to be timely, so that if I love something, I can encourage you to go. But - like I said, I took a five year hiatus and I am just practicing and catching up. And - while you may have missed this show, there are at least five more to go! I highly encourage everyone in Edmonton to visit the Alberta Ballet website and choose one that appeals to you. I will admit that I can't wait to see Life - a ballet comprised of male dancers. I saw the pics - those BalletBoyz are cute!

As well, if you like contributing to a community with feedback and the opportunity to ask questions, it is interesting to note that Talk Alberta Ballet was also established this year, and it is a website that allows ballet patrons to comment on the shows, brainstorm what they want to see in the future, and ask questions such as "What does a dancer's week look like?" There are members of the Alberta Ballet participating on the site, and so you can get a behind-the-scenes look at what the ballet is like from their perspective. I've enjoyed participating so far, and I think it is a great innovation for their 50th year!

A new twist on Fat and Fortune

Sooo... it's been a very long time since I've written a blog. And I've been craving an opportunity to write for fun rather than work. But the thing is - my blog was focused on selling Visalus in order to lose fat and make a fortune. At the time I thought I could possibly achieve these goals by selling and drinking nutritional shakes. How naive I was. I realize now that it was silly to think I could keep up a blog on such a narrow topic, and one of interest to so few people. I also became disillusioned with Visalus and direct selling, and gave up writing the blog. But lately I've been craving a return to blogging, so I need to transform this space into something new.

I think Fat and Fortune can still be an appropriate title though. The thing is... I love food! I love cooking, taking classes and going to Edmonton's fine foodie events. In the last few years I've been in a garlic cooking competition, taken classes on everything from Thai to Turkish cooking, and mastered the art of buns. I've studied Ayruvedic cooking and learned to make ghee. In fact, I love healthy fats, from ghee to coconut oil to the delicious olive oil at Evoolution (they put on great classes as well). So rather than aim only to lose fat, I've embraced food and learned to honour it. Now don't get me wrong, I still want to loose weight, haha, but as I get older I realize there's a lot more to life.

That's where the fortune part comes into play. I am very fortunate to live in the city of Edmonton where I can partake in numerous festivals (the Fringe, Taste of Edmonton, and Heritage Days are my faves!), attend amazing theater productions at the Citadel, listen to sweet sounds at the Winspear and marvel at the skill of ballet dancers at the Jubilee, not to mention the free fun of walking around the Leg grounds or strolling down Whyte. I also have the most caring family, an amazing job, wonderful friends, a talented boyfriend ... I am very grateful. All in all, I am a fortunate soul surrounded by beautiful people who make life a joy.

My goal is to write about and highlight some of these people and events. I'll start by going back in time, since I slacked off and skipped so many amazing things I really wanted to write about. I want to post some old photos and let you know some of the things in this city that have inspired me. Kinda cheesy to go back in time... but it will give me a chance to practice how the heck one is supposed to add photos, change text, create hyperlinks and all that jazz. It's been years! And then - from this time onward - I will be in the groove to write about current events. So please join me in my adventures to enjoy fat and celebrate the fortunate life we live in this great city of Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.

Thai people - True Entrepreneurs!!!!

You know what I actually thought about in the shower this morning??? I reflected on the fact that Thai people are amazing entrepreneurs! When I was at the market yesterday, I saw so many people running their own mini-businesses. They sell water and amazing juice drinks, little sausages, tasty curries, tons of clothes and jewelry, and offer services such as massages. It's amazing what people here do. I also notice that in the area by my hotel, there are tons of street vendors selling food everywhere I look. Out of carts, out of shops, you name it. They will even use little pots on single burners. Amazing smells fill the street, people eat up, and the Thai entrepreneur makes a bhat!!!

I love the spirit of the people here in Thailand. So friendly and entrepreneurial!!! I love spending my money here!

Happy NYE everyone. XOXO

I am in Thailand!!!!

Wow, have I ever been a blog slacker. I had so much awesome stuff to report, and due to Xmas and vacation, I failed to actually sit down and write. John did my final weigh in and measurements right before Christmas, and I lost 10 pounds of fat and lotsa inches!!!! I decreased my metabolic age, and everything has improved. I have exact numbers in a fancy excel spreadsheet he gave me, and I will input them after my holiday.

I went home for Christmas. I had such a lovely time, ate lots of great food, and saw so many lovely faces. Oh, and I got lotsa kick ass presents too! I also held a shake party at my sisters! It was so fun to have one in Redcliff with people I've known forever. Stacey was soooo kind to let me have it at her house, and it was lots of fun! The ladies were laughing up a storm!

And now, I am in Bangkok Thailand. Just arrived late last night. It is amazing here. I love it. So far (in only 8 hours today) I've visited a huge weekend market, received a Thai massage (awesome) and explored the area by my hotel. I've also eaten tons of juicy delicious fruit. That's all I've eaten so far... gotta find some real food! No Visalus for three weeks - what will I do??!!!!

I wish you all a happy New Year!!!! May all of your dreams come true!!! XOXO

Make your New Year's Dreams Come True

Wow. It is already December 4th. Before I know it, I'll be taking the mighty Greyhound home for Christmas, and then blasting off to Thailand for a three week vacation. There's so much excitement coming up in the future, I am pumped! I can't wait to lay on a tropical beach, after having a lovely Xmas with the fam.

My New Year's resolution is to achieve my fat and fortune goals. I want to continue to work out and eat healthy (with the occasional delicious treat - in moderation) so that I can enter my 30th year with the best bod ever! In addition, I want to grow my Visalus business and find a few partners to act as distributors. I also want to learn more about social media tools, and figure out how I can generate new business leads. I figure this should keep me busy for a year. It's always good to set goals and try to achieve them :)

I know that many people's New Year's resolutions involve weight loss. If you have a feeling that your resolution will be focused on diet and nutrition, now is a great time to order a Visalus Challenge Kit! Your products will arrive in about a week, and when January 1st hits, you will be ready to rumble!!!! I can guarantee you that if you start drinking two shakes a day, the pounds will drop off, your energy will increase, and you will feel amazing. The shake mix is that good!!!

Please visit my website to get started - just click "Join the Challenge!" http://jodiebakker.myvi.net/

I would also like to add that I have now been blogging for a little over a month! YAY! It's been such a great experience and it's fun to write down everything I've learned about improving my health while learning business skills. In the one month I've been blogging, this site has received over 1000 visits!!! Wow! I think that's fantastic. Thank you so much to everyone who reads this - I really appreciate it. Please leave feedback or questions if there's anything you want to know or would like me to talk about.

I also have to mention that I just got my first ever Visalus cheque in the mail! Woot woot. This shit is for real, ha. It's my first ever commission cheque, and it is for the first week of November (payments come weekly, with a bonus cheque at the end of the month). My cheque for my first week was $37.70! Not bad! I'll attach a pic. Get ahold of me if you want to become a distributor and earn some cash from home.

What are you New Year's resolutions? Do you have any? Or, do you think they are just stupid?

Success = Intelligence + Self-Control

This week has been incredibly busy, inspiring and challenging in so many ways. My roomies left today for Ireland, and so we did our Christmas evening together on Monday (yah for fish tacos and good friends). I also booked my ticket to Thailand on Monday, and I've been hunting for hotels. I hit the gym Monday and Wednesday night, attended a self-defence class Tuesday night, busted my ass at work, and even got up Tuesday morning at 5:00 a.m. so that I could attend "Breakfast with the Guys," a fundraiser to support women's shelters and to help stop violence against women. It's a cool event because it's aimed at men, and it encourages them to help combat domestic violence.

The speaker at Breakfast with the Guys was Arlene Dickinson, an investor from Dragon's Den. She spoke about her personal experiences with domestic violence, and how one can never pre-judge what the face of domestic violence looks like. She also spoke briefly about the determinants of success. The one piece of business knowledge that she shared that resonated with me was that two things consistently predict success: intelligence and self-control. Of these two things, we have the most influence over our self-control, (also called self-discipline or willpower). Personal success hinges on exercising self-control and motivating ourselves to work hard, be persistent and achieve our dreams through sheer determination.

Losing weight is not easy. Going to the gym and working one's ass off costs money, it takes time, and it hurts. The thing is though - it pays dividends. After a few months, the results are phenomenal. You can see muscles. You feel energetic. You can breathe easier. Run faster. Become stronger.

Your body is your temple and you have it for life. It's easy to give in to treats and to become lazy, and everyone does it at some point. What's important is to exercise self-control most of the time, and eat things that are clean, nutritious and good for you. Feed your body the fuel it needs to thrive! Willpower is important because it allows us to forgo immediate gratification for long term benefit. The gym might not feel good for the first few months, but eventually, it will reap rewards.

Achieving success at work and business is also not easy. It takes hard work, courage and determination. You have to be passionate and resourceful and creative. By forgoing some fun now, however, great success can be found in the future. In my life right now, I am willing to put in extra time and effort every evening after work, in the belief that it will pay off in the future. I want to be a successful business owner and entrepreneur. I want to make a residual income, and earn money from home.

I think that it's really cool that children's self-control predicts future success. I am looking for all those people who could resist temptation as a kid. Those people who had self-discipline from a young age. If you are out there and reading this and want to join a company that's all about helping people get healthy and wealthy, give me a shout!

I believe in Visalus because I think it is in line with current trends. Obesity is a major epidemic in our society. The Body by Vi Challenge targets this problem. Visalus also encourages people to become entrepreneurs, learn business skills and build residual income. This is what people want - financial freedom, and freedom to manage their time. Considering that we are coming out a recession, people want to find a way to control their financial future and earn extra money. Vislaus provides solutions to health AND wealth issues.

It only costs $500 to become a Visalus distributor, which includes all of the start-up products. This is a small amount of money to forgo to become a small business owner. So what do you think? Do you have the self-control and motivation to give up $500 of your money now, so that you can put in some hard work and earn more later?

To learn more about earning money in Visalus, check this out: http://jodiebakker.myvi.net/recessionproof