What's in a Name

Besides the decision to share my thoughts & my life on line, the most difficult decisions was what to name my blog. I am always amazed by the creative & unique names people create for their blogs & often wonder about the decision process behind the choice/creation of a name. A few of my favourite blog names include: Seam Ripper, Lululollylegs, Doobleh-vay, & Fatshionable

I wanted something original, & personal. Something that I feel expresses who I am. After many days of thought & I'm sure driving my husband nuts. It hit me while checking my Flickr. Why not use the name I had been using for several years, Princess Sunrise.

So, you may be asking yourself why Princess Sunrise? Well it's actually kind of simple. I have always been interested in the meaning of names. I find it interesting to look up the meaning of my own & others names. As a young girl & teen I have always identified with the fact that my first name, Sarah, means Princess. Even though for a good part of my life I was more of tomboy, I've always had a princess side. Then one day I decided to check the meaning of my second name, Dawn. The meaning is fairly obviously being that dawn is the beginning of the day when the sunrises. leading me to the creation of the name Princess Sunrise, the literal interpretation of my name.

I always though it fit together well, & was a fair representation of who I am. I am more of a morning person than a night owl, and I'm a fairly happy & positive person. I tend to identify with the girlie, pretty meaning of princess, rather than the high maintenance connotation of the term. Although my husband, friends, & family may have a different opinion on that subject.

There you are, the long winded, explanation of my blogs name. As I mentioned above I'm often wondering why/how others chose their Blog names? Care to share leave a comment.

Kraut King

Today was the last day to enjoy a meal at downtown fave Kraut King before it closes its doors. The long standing restaurant has been dealing with rising crime in the area chasing away business. I had never had the chance to visit the Kraut King. I decided to take in the last day, & it looks like I was not alone. I unfortunately had a poor experience today, but I understand that this is not the usual situation. The staff appeared out of sorts, and having a difficult time holding things together. Once I finally got my meal, It was very tasty, but a bit greasy for my liking. I wish I would have experienced The Kraut King before it's final days.

It makes me so sad to hear about local businesses that are having a hard time making ends meet after so many years of lucrative business, only to have the city let them down. Alcoholism & drug addiction is not a problem that can be continually pushed aside. People with addictions deserve respect. The City has to understand that these issues need to be dealt with at the root of the problem, & not just sweep under the carpet. There needs to be programs that not only provides programs to deal with addiction, but additionally provides further services to help them regain a life without addiction. Until the true problem is delta with there will never be a solution.

Smiles & Tears

Today was a happy day for me. A day I have been waiting for for a long time. In fact a day I never thought would happen. Today was the day that L'Occitane opened in Polo Park. I know it seems a little crazy & weird to be so excited about the opening of a skin care store. Living in Winnipeg often means waiting for a long time for the stores you love to open. I often have to wait for a trip to the US or a major center like Toronto or Vancouver to find the stores you love. The only other option is to order online & pay huge shipping fees. Which explains my excitement for the store opening today.

My Love for L'Occitane started several years ago when I first found this amazing store on a trip to Chicago with my mother & sister. That was the day I fell in love with their Shea Butter hand & Foot cream. Its not cheap, but the 150ml tube last a long time for the price, & it's rich non greasy formula that leaves winter chapped skin soft & rejuvenated.

Then a little over a year ago during my trip to Japan I finally ended my 12+ year search for a face care line that doesn't irritate my sensitive face with a little rosacea thrown in. I have tried many skin care lines and all of them seemed to be my answer for the first month or two, then sure enough my face would flare up & become tight & uncomfortable. Starting another search for a new skin care line. Finally while on my trip my mother told me of a skin care line she heard of from L'Occitane. I started using the Shea & Cotton line during my trip & have had happy skin ever since. I have never found a skin care line that I have LOVED, but this was it. My skin has not broken out or flared up for over a year.

Then today at the Grand opening My dreams were crushed & all of my excitement turned to sadness. I was so excited to be able to buy the products I love at home. While I enthusiastically told my sister about the amazing properties of the skin care products I love so much, I noticed that the skin cleaner was not on display. I asked the product rep who politely informed me that it had been DISCONTINUED. All I could think was "what it couldn't be"I couldn't believe it. Doesn't it drive you crazy when you finally find a product you love they inevitably discontinue it? I think I stared at the shelf searching wildly for the coveted face cleanser hoping to make it appear out of thin air, but it never appeared. Once I got home I tried to find it on the L'Occitane website, with no luck.

So now the search I thought was finally over has started again. I bought the Shea & Cotton face soap with the hope that my face will like it, remaining comfortable & free of flair ups. I have tried the other Shea & Cotton face cleansing options, with poor results. I hope the search will be short & inexpensive, with better results than my past attempts.

Kimch'i Cafe

Today my husband & I went to Kimch'i Cafe on Albert. The open studio type setting with lots of natural light was a nice space to enjoy lunch. Half the space is used as a yarn shop, and the other half for food service. I had been hearing rumors that the food was amazing, and was not disappointed. We both had a Korean sub. I chose to top mine with beef, and Al choose Spicy pork. I really wish I had taken a picture of the sub, but was so excited when it was delivered to our table that I just dug in. The homemade bun, was warm & had a nice thin crust, making the sub easy to eat. The bun is piled with julienne carrots, cucumbers & daikon. The beef was tender and flavorful, and everything was topped with melted mozza, and a delicious, not too spicy, chili mayo. The spicy pork was wonderful to. It had a nice flavor & the spicy zing worked well with the crisp veggies. For dessert we brought home homemade Whoopie pies. I chose the chocolate with marshmallow & Al chose the red velvet & icing, both were super yummy.


I hope to return soon to try the other yummy sounding options. The B3 (Bibimbap) sounds & looked great. I am intrigues with the Korean tacos, and the Make your Own Salad at only 5 $ sounds like a excellent deal. The only draw back we found, was that it's only open during the lunch hour. I think that it would make a nice venue for a dinner out on a weekend.

The Beginning

This may be the scariest thing I have ever done. If you were to ask the people who know me best, they would tell you that my spelling, and grammar are atrocious. I have been secretly throwing around the idea of starting a blog for a while. Then last month, I let it slip that I have been wanting to take this giant step. I nearly let the fear get the better of me, but the creation of my very first creative space, and the upcoming birth of my first child was finally the impetus to take the plunge.

So why start a blog you ask? I'm not really sure myself. I enjoy the networking, support, & camaraderie I have witnessed between bloggers while following many food, craft, & design blogs. Lately, I have felt the need to share my life. A place to share others cool ideas, and interesting articles. The need for a release. A place that's all my own.

Now that I have taken the plunge, what to write about? I guess my own creative projects, the evolution of our new family, my love of cooking (although I'm currently on a pregnancy-created hiatus), my love of photography, and the amazing creativity of others.